# pelagic thresher (*Alopias pelagicus*) The pelagic thresher is a sleek and speedy fish known for its long tail. It swims in the open ocean and uses its tail to catch fish by stunning them. These fish are fascinating and can be quite playful! - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate - **Habitat:** Open ocean ![pelagic thresher](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Alopias_pelagicus.jpg&width=800) Photo: NOAA Observer Program, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alopias_pelagicus.jpg) ## Appearance The pelagic thresher has a sleek, torpedo-shaped body with a metallic blue-grey back and clean white belly. Its most distinctive feature is its incredibly long, whip-like upper tail fin lobe, often half its total body length. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Elasmobranchii - **Order:** Lamniformes - **Family:** Alopiidae - **Genus:** Alopias ## Interesting facts - Its tail can be longer than its entire body, like a superhero's cape! - Pelagic threshers love to travel far, swimming across vast ocean distances. - These sharks often swim near the surface, enjoying the sunny top waters. - They use their mighty tails to smack prey, making fishing super exciting to watch! ## Special abilities - **Whip-Tail Hunter:** Pelagic threshers can stun prey with their extra-long tail because they use it like a whip to disorient fish schools. - **Oceanic Leaper:** Pelagic threshers can leap clear of the water, which helps them shed parasites or communicate with others. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 100-350 cm - **Weight:** 20-90 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-15 years - **Swim Speed:** 45 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 500 m - **Water Type:** Saltwater ## Diet & Feeding They are skilled hunters that mainly eat schooling fish and squid, using their amazing tail! - **Primary Foods:** sardines, mackerel, squid, anchovies, herring - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Pilchard (*Sardinops sagax*) — Main food source in many regions. - **Hunts:** Chub Mackerel (*Scomber japonicus*) — Common prey item for these sharks. - **Eaten by:** [Orca](https://www.snappit.app/explore/orca) (*Orcinus orca*) — Occasionally preyed upon by killer whales. - **Symbiotic with:** Common Remora (*Remora remora*) — Attaches to sharks for transport and food scraps. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [Giant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/giant): Giant describes organisms or objects of significantly larger size than average for their species or type. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate Always stay safe by watching from a distance when near the ocean. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify pelagic thresher? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is pelagic thresher? 100-350 cm ### How much does pelagic thresher weigh? 20-90 kg ### How long does pelagic thresher live? 10-15 years ### What does pelagic thresher eat? They are skilled hunters that mainly eat schooling fish and squid, using their amazing tail! ### How fast can pelagic thresher swim? 45 km/h ### Where is pelagic thresher usually found? Open ocean ### How does pelagic thresher hunt? Pursuit ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Pelagic Thresher: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pelagic-thresher)