Depth
Alopias · Sharks & Rays

Thresher Shark

Alopias vulpinus

0-550m
Depth Range
5.7m
Max Size
Mediterranean
Distribution
0-550m
Depth Range
5.7m
Max Size
Pelagic
Habitat
Carnivore
Diet
Solitary
Social
VU
IUCN Status
Rare
Sighting Likelihood
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Elasmobranchii
Genus Alopias
Species vulpinus

Elasmobranch

Identification & Biology

  • IdentificationA large, distinctive shark instantly recognisable by its enormously elongated upper tail fin (caudal lobe), which can be as long as the entire body. Dark blue to grey on top, white underneath. Large eyes and a short, conical snout. The pectoral fins are long and curved.
  • SizeCommonly 3 to 4 m total length (including tail). Maximum recorded length 5.7 m and weight up to 340 kg. Nearly half the total length is tail.
  • Social HabitUsually solitary or in pairs. Uses its long tail as a weapon, whipping it overhead to stun schooling fish. Capable of powerful breaches clear of the water surface.
  • HabitatOpen ocean (pelagic) and along continental shelf edges. Comes closer to shore near steep drop-offs and submarine canyons.
  • Depth0 to 650 m. Typically found in the upper 200 m. Hunts near the surface at dawn and dusk.
  • Feeds OnSmall schooling fish (mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies), squid, and occasionally seabirds. Herds and stuns prey using rapid overhead strikes with its tail.
  • DistributionWorldwide in tropical and temperate oceans. Present throughout the Mediterranean, though uncommon. Occasionally recorded in Maltese offshore waters.
  • DescriptionAlopias vulpinus is one of the most spectacular sharks in the sea, using its extraordinary tail to hunt in a way no other shark does. High-speed camera footage has captured tail strikes exceeding 80 km/h. In the Mediterranean, it is caught as bycatch in pelagic longline and drift net fisheries. Listed as Vulnerable globally and Endangered in the Mediterranean by the IUCN.

Range

Habitat & Distribution

Thresher sharks occupy open oceanic and coastal waters throughout the Mediterranean basin. They range from the surface to depths beyond 500m, often following vertical migrations of prey species along the continental slope.

Where Malta divers have spotted this species

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Sightings are logged by divers using our What Did You See? dive-log tool. View the full live sightings map.

Detail

Preferred Environment

Prefers epipelagic to mesopelagic zones over deep water, frequently near underwater drop-offs and seamounts. In the Mediterranean, most encounters occur in open water well offshore from the coast.

Encounter Tips

Best approached slowly and calmly. Avoid casting shadows directly over the animal. Neutral buoyancy and patience increase encounter success significantly.

Thresher Shark species card

Biology

Behaviour & Diet

Feeding Strategy

Uses its elongated tail fin to stun schooling fish such as sardines, anchovies, and mackerel by whipping it through bait balls at high speed.

Tail-whip hunter

Reproduction

Ovoviviparous with litters of two to four pups. Embryos practise oophagy, feeding on unfertilised eggs inside the uterus during a gestation period of approximately nine months.

Ovoviviparous

Behaviour & Defence

Relies on speed and agility as primary defence. Generally shy and non-aggressive toward divers, retreating quickly when approached.

Speed and evasion

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Where to Encounter in Malta

Dive sites where Alopias vulpinus may be encountered will be added as sighting data is collected.

IUCN Red List Vulnerable

Conservation Status

This species is assessed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Mediterranean populations face ongoing pressure from fishing activity, habitat degradation, and climate-driven changes.

Source: IUCN Red List
diveshack Mediterranean Marine Life guide