Habitat
Coastal and oceanic waters of the Strait, surface to about 500 m.
All species
Common Thresher Shark
Alopias vulpinus
Not aggressive
A powerful pelagic shark with a sickle-shaped upper tail used as a hunting weapon.
Maximum size
3.7–5.5 m
Aggressiveness
Not aggressive
Ecology
Slow-growing and late-maturing, making the species sensitive to fishing pressure.
Feeding
Uses tail-slap hunting to herd and stun schooling fish such as sardines, anchovies and mackerel.
Behaviour
Usually solitary. Capable of breaching clear of the water.
Safety notes
Considered harmless to humans; no provoked or unprovoked attacks documented locally.
Conservation status
IUCN: Vulnerable.
Sources & Citations
Data compiled from peer-reviewed and authoritative open sources. Last reviewed 2026.
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Conservation status for each species.
- The Shark Trust — Species Database
Biology, ecology and identification.
- FishBase
Maximum sizes, distribution and life-history data.
- Florida Museum — International Shark Attack File
Documented species behaviour around humans.
- Nature Gibraltar / Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society
Local marine fauna records around the Strait.