Thresher Shark

ID points

• Upper tail lobe extremely long, almost as long as the body
• Large eyes, short snout and a rounded head profile
• Whips the long tail through fish schools to stun prey

Basics

Family

Alopiidae

Length

3.0–6.0 m

Depth

0-550 m

Regions

Indo-Pacific reefs · Caribbean & W. Atlantic · Temperate & polar · Open ocean

Distribution

Temperate and tropical oceans worldwide

Habitat

Open ocean, coastal and offshore waters

Diet

Small fish, squid

Easily confused with

SailfishDorsal fin opens like a tall sail, higher than the body itselfSharkSpindle-shaped body; upper tail lobe clearly longer than the lowerBlue SharkIndigo blue back and pure white belly with a sharp dividing line

Fun fact

The upper lobe of a thresher shark tail is almost half the length of the whole animal. The shark charges into a shoal at speed and cracks that tail like a whip, stunning or even slicing its prey before eating at leisure. High speed film has captured the behaviour, with the tail travelling at over 10 metres per second.