Scientists have confirmed that thresher sharks use their arced tails to hit and stun their prey before going in for the kill.
We already know that a shark bite is no fun.
Now, scientists have confirmed that thresher sharks use their arced tails to hit and stun their prey before going in for the kill.
Their tails are no joke, either. They’re so huge they comprise about a third of the shark’s total body mass. That means they can end up being over 750 pounds.
Given the tail’s prominence, scientists have long suspected that it served a vital function and most likely in the feeding arena.
As the sharks rarely come to shore and live over 1600 feet below sea level, observing them at length hasn’t been easy.
Finally, however, footage has been captured that confirms their clever and forceful means of subduing their dinner.
The thresher sharks were caught in action over 60 times when hunting in a sardine shoal off of Pescador Island in the Philippines.
Despite the force of the blow, the technique was only successful around 60 percent of the time; however multiple kills when successful made up for the misses.
