Thresher Shark, Alopias vulpinus washes ashore at Seven Mile Beach

Beachgoers were shocked to discover a near mythical beast had washed ashore at a popular beach.

A mysterious shark from the depths of the ocean has washed ashore on the NSW south coast, leaving beachgoers baffled about what they’d seen.

The dead shark was found lying on Seven Mile Beach in Shoalhaven – about 140km south of Sydney – by beachgoers who widely shared its image on social media.

Australian Museum Ichthyology collection manager Amanda Hay told NewsWire that the bizarre-looking creature with its long tail was a Thresher Shark, Alopias vulpinus.

“It can be differentiated from the other species, by the length of the upper lobe of the caudal fin, the size of the eye, but most distinctively the white from the underside extends above the pectoral fin, where it is grey in the other two species,” Ms Hay said.

The dead thresher shark was found washed up on Seven Mile Beach in the Shoalhaven. Picture: Facebook / Trapman Australia

It’s unclear how the shark died. Picture: Facebook / Trapman Australia

It’s unclear how or why the offshore shark washed ashore, but it had injuries consistent with being attacked by a larger marine animal.

Females of the species are known to migrate inshore to give birth, with juveniles sticking to shallow coastal waters until they reach maturity.

Ms Hay said it is common for dead fishes to wash up on the beach.

There are three types of species of Thresher shark, all of which are listed as vulnerable by the World Conservation Union.

This specific species is commonly found around the Brisbane area, southern Australia to the North West Shelf, Western Australia and Tasmania.

The shark is usually found in deep water. Picture: Facebook / Trapman Australia

The shark is also known to be found around New Zealand.

They are usually hunted commercially for their meat by big-game fishers.

The Thresher sharks are named for their exceptionally long tails, which can be as long as their bodies.

Alopias vulpinus is derived from the Latin word for fox, referring to the shark’s long foxlike tail.

Originally published as Thresher Shark, Alopias vulpinus washes ashore at Seven Mile Beach