Scale morphology and flexibility in the shortfin mako Isurus oxyrinchus and the blacktip shark Carcharhinus limbatus
Cover illustration. The shortfin mako Isurus oxyrinchus is perhaps the fastest swimming shark. The modified scales on the lateral flank of the shark are highly flexible and are believed to erect during rapid swimming. Erection of the flank scales and resulting drag reduction is hypothesized to be passively driven by localized flow patterns over the skin. The cover image, “Mako Moon”, is courtesy of Don Ray of donrayart.com. See Motta et al., pp. 1096–1110 in this issue of the Journal of Morphology.