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There are 3 species of threshers. The other 2 species do not enter the New England area. They are: the big eye thresher, Alopias superciliosus, which gets up north as close as Montauk, New York, and the pelagic thresher, Alopias pelagicus, which is not in the Atlantic Ocean. The threshers are one of a few shark species considered to be warm-bodied. Being warm- bodied translates into being more energetic in cooler water than a cold blooded shark species. The upper lobe of the tail is almost as long as the body section. This characteristic makes it very easy to separate the threshers from other shark species. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
IGFA Record - 767 lbs. (A. vulpinus) Maine record - 628 Lbs (A. vulpinus) Massachusetts record - 548 lbs (A. vulpinus) |
Max. size: 10 foot fork length (19 feet overall, incl. tail) Max weight: 900 lbs. Water temp 58-75 degrees. |
Thresher Alopias vulpinus |
Michael Leonard was taking a nature cruise in August 2002 aboard the schooner Margaret Todd in Bar Harbor, Maine, when he took this great picture. Capt. Steven Pagels of Downeast Windjammer Cruises, and Acadia National Park ranger Jack Arnott were witnesses to the event. The thresher is free jumping something threshers naturally do. |
Capt. Bill Brown photo |
The thresher gets its name from its abnormally long tail that it uses to strike or thresh fish. This bizarre tailed shark is a visitor to our area although in very small numbers on the north side of Cape Cod. South of Martha's Vineyard seems to be an area with many threshers. Threshers are very fast and occasionally jump clear out of the water when hooked, or when free swimming. ---------------------------------------- |
Family Alopiidae - Thresher sharks Alopias vupinus - Thresher Alopias superciliosis- Bigeye Thresher Alopias pelagicus - Pelagic Thresher These two photos show the 2 species of thresher that are on the East Coast of the U.S.A. The 3rd species of thresher, The pelagic thresher, Alopias pelagicus, also known as the smalltooth thresher, is not in the Atlantic Ocean. |
This is a bigeye thresher, Alopias superciliosis, a species that is not in New England waters. They do get a far north as N.Y. and N.J. There is always a chance one might come into our area. It is easily distinguished from the thresher we have in New England, by its very large eye and grooves on its head. (now a protected species release it unharmed) |
Tim Robertson photo |
Thresher, Alopias vulpinus This is the species we have in New England. |
Thresher sharks will free jump regularly, as seen on the right, and will also jump when being fought on rod and reel. Threshers are a powerful fish and probably the strongest shark on rod and reel . Makos are jumpers and runners and do wild things and are more dangerous in and out of the water, but when it comes to pulling power I believe the thresher is a little stronger. Threshers hit fish and hook baits with their tail, and in many cases get themselves tail hooked. This is a regular occurence with longliners. |
THRESHER Fork Length 750 lbs. 10 feet 657 lbs. 9.5 feet 575 lbs. 9 feet 498 lbs. 8.5 feet 427 lbs. 8 feet 363 lbs. 7.5 feet 305 lbs. 7 Feet 253 lbs. 6.5 feet 207 lbs. 6 feet Fork Length |