Description: A fusiform shark, with a very long caudal fin, and a bulbous snout. Large eyes, extendind to the dorsal side of the head. The head has a deep horizontal groove on either side, meeting just posterior to the orbit and extending the level of the gill slits. Colour is dark purplish brown with metallic hues dorsally; lighter ventrally.
Global Distribution: Circumglobal in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate waters. View Map
BIOLOGICAL FEATURES
Size: Maximum length 488 cm (total length); common length 350 cm (TL); maximum published weight: 363.8 kg.
Reproduction: Ovoviviparous, embryos feeding on yolk sac and other ova produced by the mother.
Maturity: range 154 - 341 cm.
Behavioural ecology: Stuns its prey with its long caudal fin.
Population structure & migrations: Highly migratory species.
ECOLOGICAL FEATURES
Depth range: FishBase: 0 - 730 m, usually 0 - 100 m.
Habitat: Pelagic-oceanic. Occurs in coastal waters over continental shelves, sometimes close inshore in shallow waters, and on the high seas far from land.
Feeding habits: Feeds on pelagic fishes (lancetfishes, herring, mackerel and small billfishes), benthic fishes, and squids.
Trophic level: FishBase: 4.5
FISHERIES
Commercial interest: Previously a commercial species. Retaining on board, transhipping or landing any part or whole carcass of bigeye thresher sharks (Alopias superciliosus) in any fishery is now prohibited.
IUCN (2014). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. www.iucnredlist.org
McEachran J., Fechhelm J.D. (1998). Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico, Volume 1: Myxiniformes to Gasterosteiformes. University of Texas Press, 1120 pp.
Nieto A., Ralph G.M., Comeros-Raynal M.T., Kemp J., GarcÃa Criado M., Allen D.J., Dulvy N.K., Walls R.H.L., Russell B., Pollard D., GarcÃa S., Craig M., Collette B.B., Pollom R., Biscoito M., Labbish Chao N., Abella A., Afonso P., Ãlvarez H., Carpenter K.E., Clò S., Cook R., Costa M.J., Delgado J., Dureuil M., Ellis J.R., Farrell E.D., Fernandes P., Florin A-B., Fordham S., Fowle, S., Gil de Sola L., Gil Herrera J., Goodpaster A., Harvey M., Heessen H., Herler J., Jung A., Karmovskaya E., Keskin C., Knudsen S.W., Kobyliansky S., KovaÄić M., Lawson J.M., Lorance P., McCully Phillips S., Munroe T., Nedreaas K., Nielsen J., Papaconstantinou C., Polidoro B., Pollock C.M., Rijnsdorp A.D., Sayer C., Scott J., Serena F., Smith-Vaniz W.F., Soldo A., Stump E., Williams J.T. (2015). Europen Red List of Marine Fishes. IUCN and European Union, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 90 pp.
