The Thresher Shark is unmistakable: a slender predator with a tail as long as its body, which it uses to herd and stun fish schools. Growing to around 7.6 m, it hunts in temperate and tropical waters across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, often cruising open water or along continental slopes at depths of 20–500 m. The whip-like tail is a feeding adaptation unique among sharks—watch for the characteristic silhouette and the sudden slashing movements when prey is near. Listed as Vulnerable, it is caught incidentally in commercial fisheries throughout its range.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Elasmobranchii
- Order
- Lamniformes
- Family
- Alopiidae
- Genus
- Alopias
Most likely to be seen at
Sites where its range and habitat make it likely — not yet confirmed by a logged sighting.