In the decades before “Jaws,” white sharks weren’t considered to be among the ocean’s most fearsome predators.

The Common Thresher Shark (Alopias vulpinus) is easily identified by the extended upper lobe of its caudal fin.Even though these sharks can grow up to 20 feet long, much of their length comes from ...

The Common Thresher Shark (Alopias vulpinus) is easily identified by the extended upper lobe of its caudal fin. Even though these sharks can grow up to 20 feet long, much of their length comes from ...

A large salmon shark in the center, with two blue sharks on the left and a common thresher shark on the right. Credit: Oregon State University.

The common thresher is currently listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which is one step away from endangered. Its Pacific cousin, the pelagic thresher, is ...

Capt. Chris Brown was off Block Island fishing for scup, a small fish that weighs about a pound, when something much bigger landed on his deck: a 500-pound, 16-foot-long common thresher shark. The ...

In November 2024, a common thresher shark, an adult female which was 4m (13.1ft), was found entangled in a net, also known as a "ghost net" at Clovelly Harbour, Devon. More on this story.

Common thresher sharks are “aggressive predators” that live up to 50 years and can reach lengths of 20 feet, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries.

Common thresher sharks are “aggressive predators” that live up to 50 years and can reach lengths of 20 feet, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries.

Common thresher sharks are “aggressive predators” that live up to 50 years and can reach lengths of 20 feet, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries.