Facts about Thresher Sharks
Thresher sharks are large lamniform sharks of the family Alopiidae. These sharks are found in all temperate and tropical oceans of the world. Thresher sharks are one of the few shark species known to jump fully out of the water making turns like dolphins, this behaviour is called breaching. Although occasionally sighted in shallow, inshore waters, thresher sharks are primarily pelagic; they prefer the open ocean, staying within the first 500 m of the water column. The genus and family name derive from the Greek word alopex, meaning fox. Indeed the long-tailed thresher shark, Alopias vulpinus, is named the fox shark by some authorities. Thresher sharks are fairly slender, with small dorsal fins and large, recurved pectoral fins. Common threshers tend to be more common in coastal waters over continental shelves. With the exception of the Bigeye thresher, these sharks have relatively small eyes. These sharks are named for and easily recognised by their exceptionally long, thresher-like tail or caudal fins. Thresher sharks are solitary creatures which keep to themselves. Other than for its meat, the sharks are hunted for their liver oil, skin (for leather), and their fins, for use in shark-fin soup. Like all large sharks, threshers are slow growing and are therefore threatened by commercial fisheries. By far the largest of the three species of thresher shark is the Common thresher, Alopias vulpinus, which may reach a length of 20 ft and a weight of over 500 kg. Tail accounts for 1/3 of the shark's body. The tail of the thresher shark is actually used as a weapon to stun prey. The Pelagic thresher, Alopias pelagicus, is the smallest of three thresher shark species. Pelagic schooling fish (such as bluefish, juvenile tuna, and mackerel), squid and cuttlefish are the primary food items of the thresher sharks. All species of this shark are noted for their highly migratory or oceanodromous habits. All three thresher shark species have been recently listed as vulnerable to extinction by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). |
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