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Common Thresher Shark

Alopias vulpinus

Fish · family Alopiidae · order Lamniformes

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
Native in
7 states[2]

The Common Thresher Shark is a fish in the shark family Alopiidae[3]. NatureServe records it as native in 7 US states and territories, and the IUCN Red List category is Vulnerable[2][4].

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Vulnerable[4]. The species is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS data checked on 2026-10-30[1]. That only describes the federal listing. Listings can change by federal rule. The state conservation ranks are in the table on this page[5].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[4] Vulnerable

Where Common Thresher Shark lives

NatureServe lists this shark as native in Delaware, Florida, Maine, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina and Texas[2]. That is a list of states where NatureServe records the species. It does not promise you will see one there. Observation reports on GBIF come most often from California, North Carolina, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Florida[6]. Those counts follow where people look and report, not how many sharks live there[6].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: native, state rank SNRMEWisconsin: not recordedWIVermont: not recordedVTNew Hampshire: not recordedNHWashington: not recordedWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: not recordedNDMinnesota: not recordedMNIllinois: not recordedILMichigan: not recordedMINew York: native, state rank SNRNYMassachusetts: not recordedMAOregon: not recordedORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: not recordedWYSouth Dakota: not recordedSDIowa: not recordedIAIndiana: not recordedINOhio: not recordedOHPennsylvania: not recordedPANew Jersey: native, state rank SNRNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: not recordedRICalifornia: not recordedCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: not recordedCONebraska: not recordedNEMissouri: not recordedMOKentucky: not recordedKYWest Virginia: not recordedWVVirginia: not recordedVAMaryland: not recordedMDDelaware: native, state rank SNRDEArizona: not recordedAZNew Mexico: not recordedNMKansas: not recordedKSArkansas: not recordedARTennessee: not recordedTNNorth Carolina: not recordedNCSouth Carolina: native, state rank S3SCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: not recordedOKLouisiana: not recordedLAMississippi: not recordedMSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: not recordedGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank SNRTXFlorida: native, state rank SNRFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[5].
Show state ranks (7 states)
StateRankMeaning
DelawareSNRNot Ranked
FloridaSNRNot Ranked
MaineSNRNot Ranked
New JerseySNRNot Ranked
New YorkSNRNot Ranked
South CarolinaS3Vulnerable
TexasSNRNot Ranked

When to look for it

Most GBIF records of this shark fall in August, September and October[7]. Reports are low from January to May and climb through the summer[7]. These records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[7].

January: 10 recordsJanFebruary: 7 recordsFebMarch: 4 recordsMarApril: 24 recordsAprMay: 20 recordsMayJune: 674 recordsJunJuly: 5,438 recordsJulAugust: 21,379 recordsAugSeptember: 24,850 recordsSepOctober: 14,115 recordsOctNovember: 4,068 recordsNovDecember: 1,242 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[7].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January10
February7
March4
April24
May20
June674
July5,438
August21,379
September24,850
October14,115
November4,068
December1,242

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record Common Thresher Shark as present in 2 park units[8]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

States with the most GBIF observation records: California, North Carolina, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida[6]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Common Thresher Shark endangered?
It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Vulnerable[4].
Where does the Common Thresher Shark live in the US?
NatureServe lists it as native in Delaware, Florida, Maine, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina and Texas[2]. Most GBIF reports come from California, North Carolina, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Florida[6].
When is the Common Thresher Shark reported most?
GBIF records peak in August, September and October[7]. The records reflect when people look and report, not how many animals there are[7].

Facts and sources

  1. Common Thresher Shark is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe lists Common Thresher Shark as native in 7 US states and territories: Delaware, Florida, Maine, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Texas. NatureServe Explorer
  3. Common Thresher Shark (Alopias vulpinus) is a fish in the family Alopiidae, order Lamniformes. NatureServe Explorer
  4. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Vulnerable. NatureServe Explorer
  5. NatureServe state ranks for Common Thresher Shark (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  6. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Common Thresher Shark: California, North Carolina, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  7. GBIF observation records of Common Thresher Shark in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  8. NPSpecies park lists recording Common Thresher Shark as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.