WATCH: This shark uses its scythe-like tail as a deadly weapon

Who needs a Sharknado, anyway?

Scary shark
(Image credit: YouTube)

With their rows of razor-sharp and replenishable teeth, as well as hydrodynamic contours that allow them to stealthily lurk assassin-like just below the water's surface, sharks are among Mother Nature's finest killing machines. But new underwater footage reveals that a particular subset called the thresher shark is in possession of an additional deadly weapon: Its tail is equipped with an abnormally long, scythe-like fin that it can whip over its head to violently slash at schools of unsuspecting fish.

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Chris Gayomali is the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com. Previously, he was a tech reporter at TIME. His work has also appeared in Men's Journal, Esquire, and The Atlantic, among other places. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.