Thresher Shark

Fact File:

Common Name(s):
Thresher Shark

(others: Sailfish Shark)

Scientific Name:
Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre, 1788)

Usual Size:
Believed to a size of 600cm

UK Record Weights
from rod/line:
Shore:
V 40lb Qualifying Weight

Boat:
323lb

MAFF Minimum Size:
Shore:
Boat:

Identification:
Upper body dark brown to grey with a paler to white underside. The elongated tail is equivalent in length to the main body of the Shark.

Breeding:
Aplacentally Viviparous (live bearing). Litter size varying between 2/6 pups

Habitat:
An offshore species occasionally coastal, which can be found in the surface layers down to 400m.

Food:
Schooling fish like Mackerel, Herring and Garfish as well as Squid.

Range:
To be found in cold temperate waters and tropical waters. For the UK from the south Cornish Coast to Isle of Wight, and occasionally off oceanic coasts of Scotland.

Additional Notes:
Weight potential to excess of 1000lbs

REFERENCES:

A Field Guide to The Sharks of British Coastal Waters - Vas 1991

FAO Species Catalogue 4 - Sharks of The World - Compagno

Fishes of the North-Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean - Whitehead, Bauchot, Hureau, Nielsen, Tortonese

Key to the Fishes of Northern Europe - Wheeler

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