The biology of the longfin mako is little-known; it is somewhat common in the western Atlantic and possibly the central Pacific, while in the eastern Atlantic, it is rare and outnumbered over 1,000-fold by the shortfin mako in fishery landings. The longfin mako's slender body and long, broad pectoral fins evoke the oceanic whitetip shark ("Carcharhinus longimanus") and the blue shark ("Prionace glauca"), both slow-cruising sharks of upper oceanic waters. This morphological similarity suggests that the longfin mako is less active than the shortfin mako, one of the fastest and most energetic sharks. Like the other members of its family, this species possesses blood vessel countercurrent exchange systems called the rete mirabilia (Latin for "wonderful net", singular rete mirabile) in its trunk musculature and around its eyes and brain. This system enables other mackerel sharks to conserve metabolic heat and maintain a higher body temperature than their environments, though whether the longfin mako is capable of the same is uncertain.