Knowra Thresher shark Thresher shark A shark in the genus Alopias, distinguished by an exceptionally long upper tail lobe used to stun prey. Its three living species inhabit temperate and tropical oceans.
Caudal fin : The tail fin of a fish or marine mammal, used mainly for propulsion. The thresher’s elongated upper lobe is a specialized part of this fin.
Shark : A cartilaginous fish with gill slits, paired fins, and a skeleton made primarily of cartilage. Thresher sharks belong to the broader group of sharks.
Common thresher : A large thresher shark, Alopias vulpinus, found in temperate and tropical oceans. This widespread species is the best-known example of the genus.
Longline fishing : A fishing method that uses a main line carrying many baited hooks. Longlines can catch threshers as targeted catch or bycatch.
Shortfin mako shark : A fast, migratory shark in the mackerel shark family, Isurus oxyrinchus. It pursues prey with speed rather than the thresher’s tail-sweeping strike.
Lateral line : A sensory system in fishes that detects water movement and pressure changes. It helps sharks detect nearby prey before a tail strike.
Lamniformes : An order of sharks that includes mackerel sharks, basking sharks, and thresher sharks. This is the taxonomic order containing the thresher shark family.
Bigeye thresher : A thresher shark, Alopias superciliosus, with large eyes adapted to dim depths. Its oversized eyes distinguish this deep-diving species from other threshers.
Bycatch : Animals unintentionally caught during fishing directed at other species. Threshers are vulnerable to incidental capture in several fisheries.
Whale shark : The largest living fish, a filter-feeding shark that consumes plankton and small animals. Its filter-feeding contrasts with thresher sharks’ active pursuit of fish.
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