Alopias pelagicus
Thresher sharks are instantly recognisable by their extraordinarily long tail fin, which can be as long as their entire body. They use this tail as a whip to stun schooling fish before feeding. Malapascua Island in the Philippines is the only place in the world where divers can reliably see thresher sharks at shallow cleaning stations at dawn.
Tamaño
Hasta 3.5 metros (cuerpo), tail adds another 3 metros
Peso
Hasta 70 kg (pelagic species)
Esperanza de vida
Hasta 20 años
Estado
Vulnerable
Their tail whip can accelerate at 30g — one of the fastest movements in the animal kingdom
Malapascua is the only place on Earth where thresher sharks are seen daily at diveable depths
They can leap fully out of the water despite their enormous tail
Thresher sharks are endothermic — they can maintain a body temperature above the surrounding water
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