More commonly known as the thresher shark, it is a large pelagic lamniform shark of warm seas belonging to the family Alopiidae and genus Alopias.They have a long, whiplike tail which is used to stun and herd fish while hunting. They are one of the few shark species known to jump fully out of the water. Due to their low fecundity and their value as prize game fish, they have become a threatened species.