Diet, Habitat, and Reproduction

Thresher sharks tend to prefer the deep ocean waters to shallow shorelines, although they have been spotted in more shallow waters on occasion. They live out in the open ocean in coastal areas, and don't often venture deeper than 1,600 ft. below the surface. The common thresher lives near North American coastlines in the Pacific Ocean.

The thresher shark's diet mostly consists of schooling fish, such as squid, tuna, and mackrel. They have also been known to feed on crabs, lobsters, and shrimp and usually stay close to areas with an abundance of plankton, as their prey will be in the same locations.

These sharks are ovoviviparous, which means their pups develop as eggs but are born live. Threshers give birth in shallow waters. The young mature in these shallower waters before moving out into the open ocean.

Lifespan and threat level.

Threshers typically have a lifespan of anywhere between 19 and 50 years. They take about 5 years to reach full maturity.

They are not classified as endangered in the U.S. There are many regulations set to prevent overfishing of threshers.

How to spot a thresher shark...

Thresher Sharks are usually black or gray in apperance and have a white belly. They can be easily recognized by their distinct caudal fin, which is elongated at the top and gives them the whip-like tail.This feature appears in all species of threshers.

Fun Facts!

Threshers use their long whip-like tails to stun prey.

They are a very migratory species, remaining closer to Washington state or Mexico depending on the season.

They are one of the few shark species known to breech (or jump out of the water). This behavior is more common among dolphins and whales.

They are apex predators.

Threshers are also known as seafoxes or whiptail sharks.

These sharks are solitary, but have been know to hunt in pairs or groups of three on occasion.