[Thresher Shark] Sleek, Poetic ... and Deadly 

Meet the Thresher shark-its machete-like tail is used to slap and stun prey, allowing it to swallow multiple fish in one fell swoop. Its tail measures almost half the length of its own body, making threshers very large in the world of sharks. NSF-supported research from Florida Atlantic University wanted to understand the mechanisms behind the thresher sharks' vertebrae that allow this body-bending acrobatics. Using micro-CT scanning, the team imaged the internal architecture of each vertebra and the mineral structures found in the calcified cartilage. These images help the team understand exactly how the shark's unique catapult system works.