Hobbies And Interests
Natural Habitat
There are three species of thresher shark and all prefer areas with warm and temperate bodies of water. The second thresher in size is the bigeye thresher(Alopias superciliosus), which has distinctly larger eyes than the common thresher -- and of which, little is known. The third species of thresher shark is the pelagic thresher (Alopias pelagicus), which is smaller than all other threshers and has finer teeth than its larger relatives. All species of thresher shark feed on various types of fish, octopus, squid and crustaceans, and they will travel to less than favorable conditions to feed, when necessary.
Largest Threat
All thresher sharks are harmless to humans; however, fishing for sport and being caught as by-products in commercial fishing nets have created a 67 percent decline in threshers that inhabit U.S. governed waters. The United States lists the common and pelagic threshers as vulnerable; with the Atlantic seeing a decline in bigeye. As a result, the United States has responded with strict fishing laws in order to preserve the thresher shark species.
Additional Threats
Threats include fishing of the species for meat in unregulated waters, which greatly impacts the number of threshers that migrate following food sources: Another threat is their slow reproduction rate. The species simply does not replenish as quick as they are being harvested; females are not known to reach sexual maturity until 10 to 15 years of age. However, as of 2011, medium sized threshers are appearing in meat markets, which indicate the species is living longer before being harvested.
Considerations
Consider ways to reduce the impact humans make upon thresher sharks. Research whether or not your ocean fillets come from environmentally sustainable fishing practices; If necessary, contact the company directly. Also, consider incorporating some fresh water, organic and farm-raised fish into your routine, to reduce your impact on the thresher species -- as one that competes with its food sources.