A thresher shark's pectoral fins are long and sickle shaped. Their teeth are small, smooth edged and have a single sharp cusp. Thresher sharks normally measure approximately 10 feet in length, although large ones can grow to 15 feet. Average weight for these fish is close to 250 pounds with the heaviest weighing in at 700 pounds. Their length to weight ratio is the lightest of all the sharks because of the unusual length of their tail.
Thresher sharks feed chiefly on small schooling fish such as herring, mackerel and menhaden.
These sharks, usually working in pairs, use their long tails to frighten their prey into a group. Thresher sharks are very active fighters when hooked. Often they are caught by their tail because of the unique way in which they use their tail when feeding. Their meat is of good quality. We'll be having a live moderated discussion with the governor at 4 p.m. on Sept. 12.