# What Do Thresher Sharks Eat?

> What thresher sharks eat: Carnivore — small fish and squid, foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Temperate and tropical open oceans worldwide.

- **Species:** Thresher Shark (*Alopias vulpinus*)
- **Conservation status:** Vulnerable
- **Diet:** Carnivore — small fish and squid
- **Habitat:** Temperate and tropical open oceans worldwide
- **Lifespan:** 19–25 years in the wild
- **Top speed:** Up to 48 km/h (30 mph); tail slap stuns prey
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/thresher-shark/what-do-thresher-shark-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/thresher-shark/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus) is an open-ocean predator famous for its enormously long, whip-like tail, which can be almost as long as its body. Found in temperate and tropical seas worldwide, it can reach about 5 m in length including the tail and weigh 150 to 250 kg. It swims at up to 48 km/h and uses its tail to stun small fish and squid. The species lives up to 25 years and is listed as Vulnerable.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## The whip-like tail

The thresher shark's most striking feature is its upper tail lobe, which is drawn out into a long, scythe-like whip that can be almost as long as the rest of the body. Counting the tail, an adult can measure around 5 m from nose to tip. Far from being decorative, this tail is a precision hunting tool honed for a single, remarkable technique. It gives the thresher a silhouette unlike any other shark in the open ocean.

## Help protect the Thresher Shark

Ocean wildlife is under mounting pressure from overfishing, bycatch and plastic pollution.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/thresher-shark/what-do-thresher-shark-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.