Thresher shark

Thresher shark
Temporal range: 49–0 Ma[1] Lutetian to Recent
Pelagic thresher (A. pelagicus)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Lamniformes
Family: Alopiidae
Bonaparte, 1838
Genus: Alopias
Rafinesque, 1810
Type species
Alopias vulpinus
Bonnaterre, 1788
Synonyms
  • Alopecias Müller and Henle, 1837
  • Alopius Swainson, 1838
  • Vulpecula Jarocki, 1822
Thresher shark jumping in Costa Rica
Pelagic thresher (A. pelagicus) jumping in Costa Rica

Thresher sharks are large mackerel sharks of the family Alopiidae found in all temperate and tropical oceans of the world; the family contains three extant species, all within the genus Alopias.

All three thresher shark species have been listed as vulnerable by the World Conservation Union since 2007 (IUCN).[2] All three are popular big-game sport fish, [3] and additionally they are hunted commercially for their meat, livers (for shark liver oil), skin (for shagreen) and fins (for use in delicacies such as shark-fin soup).

Despite being active predatory fish, thresher sharks do not appear to be a threat to humans.[4]

  1. ^ Bourdon, J. (April 2009). Fossil Genera: Alopias. The Life and Times of Long Dead Sharks. Retrieved on October 6, 2009.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference iucn was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Alopias vulpinus". Discover Fishes. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  4. ^ "Alopias vulpinus". Discover Fishes. Retrieved 2024-07-11.