Thresher sharks are a genus of sharks that appeared in the Eocene epoch, 50 million years ago, and still exist today. Currently, they are found in all temperate and tropical oceans of the world.
Thresher sharks are named after their very long caudal fin (or tail), which can be as long as their entire body. The tail is used as a weapon to strike and stun prey. Thresher sharks have a short head and a conical snout. Their mouth is generally small, and their teeth vary in size, from small to large. The largest modern thresher shark is Alopias vulpinus, which can reach up to 6.1 meters in length and a weight of over 500 kg.
Thresher sharks are fairly slender, with small dorsal fins and large, curved pectoral fins. Except for the bigeye thresher shark, these sharks have relatively small eyes positioned at the front of the head. Coloration ranges from brownish gray, blue, or purple on the dorsal side, with lighter shades ventrally.
