How do the ocean's deadliest predators catch their prey in the vast blue wilderness?

Just 10 per cent of marine species occupy the ‘big blue’. It is the biggest, yet most sparsely occupied, of Earth’s major biomes.

As a result, in these vast seascapes many large predators have evolved to excel at two things: first, ensuring that potential prey, when spotted, has no chance of escape; and second, minimising energy loss as they travel through the seawater.

In sailfish, marlin, tuna and mako sharks, all wide-ranging in their habits, speed is of the essence. Their large eyes detect prey at a distance and they make their move with lightning rapidity. Makos, for instance, may swim at nearly 80kph for short bursts in pursuit of fish and squid, which they track unawares from deeper waters below.

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Makos and tuna have a circulatory heat-exchange system that allows their body temperature to be far warmer than their surroundings, so they can maintain higher levels of activity in cold water than their prey.

Sailfish and marlin possess a similar heat-exchange system that warms the eyes and brain, keeping them primed for action at all times – vital for tracking down scarce food.

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