Maws

Maws are Boss Salmonids that appear in Salmon Run in Splatoon 2.

Appearance
Maws have fishing gear with them; when they are still in the ink, Maws have a fishing bobber poking out of the ink. They appear as massive salmon with buckteeth who are a dull pink color.

Gameplay
Maws attack by leaping mouth-first out of ink, splatting Inklings and Octolings in their path. Maws move fast enough to keep up with swimming Inklings and Octolings, and their attack is an instant splat. They are also very persistent when compared to other Salmonids, and can also travel up and down walls. When it prepares to attack, a circular light gives away its position; if a bomb is thrown at that spot, it will eat the bomb and be instantly splatted. The fishing bobber it carries floats above the ink, allowing players to track its movements before it strikes.

The predictable movement of the Maws means it can be avoided easily and can be lured to the egg basket, allowing players to quickly collect eggs.

Situational behavior and phenomena

 * Maws will target the player closest to it and will not switch targets until it leaps out of the ink, at which time it will pursue another player if they are closer than its original target.
 * Maws can eat players when they have just taken off with the.
 * Players using the while Maws is directly below them will be splatted if they land in its jaws.
 * It is possible to escape a Maws's jaws if the player is not too close to the center of the Maws, and the player reacts quickly.

Trivia

 * The name 'Maws' may be a reference to the movie Jaws; when the Maws jump up to splat players they look similar to the movie's iconic main image.
 * When introducing the different Boss Salmonids during the second training mission, Mr. Grizz refers to all of them as "it", except Maws, which he calls "she" and the Flyfish, which he calls "him". This makes them the only two Salmonids with a confirmed gender in the North American version.
 * In the North American version, Agent 8 refers to Maws as "erupting eel", as shown in its mem cake description.
 * Its behavior of leaping up out of ink and swallowing the player, as well as being splatted by swallowing a bomb, is very similar to that of the Octomaw, a boss in Splatoon.