Thresher sharks whip their massive tails at 80 mph to stun prey.

The thresher shark (genus Alopias) possesses a unique hunting strategy known as overhead tail-slapping. Research published in the journal PLOS ONE in 2013 by Dr. Simon Oliver and his team documented this behavior in detail using high-speed underwater cameras near Pescador Island in the Philippines. The study observed pelagic thresher sharks accelerating toward schools of sardines and snapping their tails with incredible force.The tail movement begins with a lunge and a sudden stop, causing the long upper lobe of the caudal fin to whip forward over the shark's head. The tip of the tail can reach speeds of up to 128 kilometers per hour (80 miles per hour). This rapid acceleration causes a localized drop in water pressure, leading to the formation of cavitation bubbles. When these bubbles collapse, they release a shockwave that can stun or kill fish without direct physical contact.This specialized hunting method is highly efficient, often incapacitating several fish in a single strike. The thresher shark's tail can account for up to 50 percent of its total body length, providing the necessary leverage for such high-velocity movements. While other sharks rely on speed or ambush biting, the thresher is one of the few predators to use its anatomy as a projectile-like weapon. This evolutionary adaptation allows them to hunt schooling fish with minimal energy expenditure compared to chasing individual prey.