Thresher sharks often remain the topic of discussion because of their significantly long tails against their small bodies. They are listed as both weird-looking and one of the biggest sharks. Being famous for their hunting strategies, thresher sharks have some other abilities which make them interesting marine creatures. Let’s take a look at the species profile and some facts regarding thresher sharks.
Thresher Shark – Species Profile
Thresher sharks are Lamniformes, distributed in temperate oceans globally. They have gray or bluish bodies with white undersides. On average, thresher sharks grow as much as 20 feet, in which more than half of their height is covered by their long tails. There is a total of three species in the genus of Thresher sharks.
- Common Thresher (Alopias vulpinus)
- Big Eye Thresher (Alopius superciliosus)
- Pelagic Thresher (Alopius pelagicus)
Taxonomic Classification Of Thresher Sharks
10 Interesting Facts About Thresher Sharks
Here are some fascinating facts about long-tailed thresher sharks, which will give you more insight into them.
Fact #1: Also Known As Fox Shark
Thresher sharks have another name, i.e., Fox Shark. They got this name because of their cunning abilities. They are known to bite through fishing nets to defend themselves, also, they swallow their young ones for a time whenever they sense danger. These behaviors depict the high-level intelligence of this specie, thus they were scientifically named “Alopias”, which comes from the Greek word “Alopex”, which means Fox.
Fact #2: Physical Appearance
Thresher sharks have elongated tails and torpedo shape body, it’s a unique feature to identify easily among all sharks It has very long upper caudal fins and a long tail fin that can measure half of the length of their body.
Fact #3: Diet
Thresher sharks prey through their long tails hunt small pelagic fish like sardines, anchovies, mackerel, and hake, and enjoy it in warm waters. Fact #4: Reproduction And Life Span
There is no specific breeding season for sharks to reproduce. Fertilization occurs within the body (ovoviviparous) and reproduces two pups per liter in one year of gestation. Pregnant sharks are often caught by anglers that’s why their life span is short and they are slow to mature like 7 to 14 years.
Fact #4: Reproduction And Life Span
There is no specific breeding season for sharks to reproduce. Fertilization occurs within the body (ovoviviparous) and reproduces two pups per liter in one year of gestation. Pregnant sharks are often caught by anglers that’s why their life span is short and they are slow to mature like 7 to 14 years.
Fact #5: Conservation Status
Thresher sharks are not extinct but these are on the list to be endangered. Because of overfishing and their low-fertility level, their number is on a constant decline.
Fact #6: Hunting Strategy
The hunting strategy of thresher sharks is tail slapping. It’s the most efficient way for them to capture their prey. They slap their tails near the school of fish, stunning their prey, and when those fish become disoriented, thresher sharks grab and eat them.
They also leap out of the water to catch seabirds and slay them into pieces before their consumption.
Fact #7: Social Behavior
Thresher sharks prefer to stay alone in the ocean. Due to their solitary nature, they are often observed resting and feeding alone; however, sometimes they do move in small packs for hunting purposes.
Fact #8: Not A Threat To Humans
Though thresher sharks are aggressive, they do not attack humans. They have small mouths and bodies, which is why they avoid preying on large organisms.
Fact #9: Endoderms
Thresher sharks are also known as Endoderms because of their ability to produce heat internally. They do so by employing the strategies of muscle shivering or either enhancing their metabolism.
Fact #10: Habitat
There are 43 species of shark that occasionally goes to freshwater for food hunting, but they can’t survive if they stop over for a long time. They prefer to sit in deep and shallow water, especially near coastal areas. Common threshers will go preferably in slightly cold water, whereas Bigeye and Pelagic threshers will be in favor of warm water. Common threshers are found in temperate waters around the world.
The Bottom Line
Thresher sharks are unique because of their long tails which they use to stun their prey right before feeding on them and are warm-blooded marine animals. They have strong senses with which they can detect the motion of other organisms in the ocean, while their bodies provide them with perfect camouflage in the ocean, keeping them safe from predatory attacks. However, this interesting specie is endangered and need to be conserved.
