Thresher sharks

Thresher sharks
	Thresher shark ( Alopias vulpinus )
Systematics
Subclass :	Plate gill (Elasmobranchii)
without rank:	Sharks (selachii)
Superordinate :	Galeomorphii
Order :	Mackerel shark (Lamniformes)
Family :	Thresher sharks
Genre :	Thresher sharks
Scientific name of the family
	Alopiidae
	Bonaparte , 1838
Scientific name of the genus
	Alopias
	Rafinesque , 1810

The thresher sharks ( Alopias ), also Drescher sharks (eng. Thresher sharks) called worldwide are living with three types, free-floating ( pelagic ) in all oceans up to 500 meters depth.

anatomy

Characteristic for these 3.5 to 7.5 meters long sharks is the long upper lobe of the caudal fin , which can be extended almost as long as the rest of the body. This long piece of tail fin is used to stun prey fish, as can be seen on film recordings. Hence the name thresher sharks. With the help of their long tail lobe, thresher sharks can also jump out of the water.

In addition to their strikingly long upper caudal fin lobes, thresher sharks also have long pectoral fins. Thresher sharks have small single-pointed teeth. Its mouth and gill openings are small, and the eyes are large. The attachment of the pectoral fins lies under the 3rd to 5th gill slit.

Way of life

Thresher sharks often feed on schooling fish such as herrings and mackerel . They circle their prey and stun them with blows with their long tail fins before they eat them with their mouths. Thresher sharks are harmless to humans.

Thresher sharks are viviparous ( ovoviviparous ). You get one to four juvenile fish per litter.

species

Pacific thresher shark ( Alopias pelagicus Nakamura, 1935 )
Bigeye thresher ( Alopias superciliosus Lowe, 1841 )
Common thresher shark ( Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre, 1788) )

literature

Joseph S. Nelson : Fishes of the World . John Wiley & Sons, 2006, ISBN 0-471-25031-7 .
Kurt Fiedler: Textbook of Special Zoology, Volume II, Part 2: Fish . Gustav Fischer Verlag Jena, 1991, ISBN 3-334-00339-6 .

Individual evidence

Web links

Commons : Alopias - collection of images, videos and audio files

Thresher Sharks on Fishbase.org (English)

[1] ttp://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/11/repost-shark-mystery-solved-how-thresher-sharks-use-their-tails/

[2] ttp://www.new-brunswick.net/new-brunswick/sharks/species/thresher.html