Species page
fox shark
Common name: Pelagic thresher
Shark species in Alopiidae.
Alopias pelagicus
Overview
This species belongs to the thresher shark family, famous for a whip-like tail longer than most sharks ever grow. Even when details vary between species, that tail is the quickest clue in the field. The defining feature is the extremely elongated upper lobe of the tail, often nearly as long as the rest of the body. The body is streamlined with long pectoral fins and a pointed snout. Threshers occur in tropical, subtropical, and temperate seas around the world. Most records come from oceanic and shelf-edge waters, though some species also approach coasts and islands.
Most species spend much of their time in the upper water column over deep water, with regular use of offshore banks, seamounts, and outer continental shelves.
Added from the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS).
Why it matters: A thresher's tail is not just for propulsion; it can also be used as a prey-handling tool.
Common namePelagic thresher
Scientific nameAlopias pelagicus
FamilyAlopiidae
OrderLamniformes
Max length3.8 m
Depth range0 to 0 meters
RegionFederal Republic of Somalia, Somali EEZ, Madagascar
DietData not available in this offline release.
HabitatMarine waters (habitat data not available locally).
Why it stands outFamily: Alopiidae
What this shark is
The defining feature is the extremely elongated upper lobe of the tail, often nearly as long as the rest of the body. The body is streamlined with long pectoral fins and a pointed snout.
Where it lives
Threshers occur in tropical, subtropical, and temperate seas around the world. Most records come from oceanic and shelf-edge waters, though some species also approach coasts and islands.
Most species spend much of their time in the upper water column over deep water, with regular use of offshore banks, seamounts, and outer continental shelves.
How it differs from similar sharks
Family: Alopiidae
Compare it against bigeye thresher and Common Thresher.
Why it is notable
Direct conflict with people is uncommon. The larger conservation issue is fishing pressure, especially from pelagic longlines and other high-seas gear.
Species-level taxonomy was verified from Sharkipedia's current species list and taxonomy workbook. In this pass, the narrative fields are cautious family-level placeholders synthesized from broad shark references, chiefly the FAO Sharks of the World catalogue, because a stronger multi-source species-level synthesis was not assembled here without risking invented detail. Replace this with a direct species-level synthesis before publication in the app.
Related shark pages
These links are meant to help readers continue through related species, not force extra clicks.
bigeye thresher
Shark species in Alopiidae.
4.9 m max
Common Thresher
Uses a whip-like tail to stun fish schools.
6.0 m maxVulnerable