Usually, most sharks live up to 30 years, except the spotted spiny shark which lives more than 100 years. But this is all nonsense compared to their polar relative - the Greenland shark. A few years ago, scientists discovered a specimen that was estimated to be at least 392 years old!
This species of polar shark lives in the waters of the North Atlantic around Greenland, Canada, and Iceland. They are the only ones that can withstand extremely low water temperatures all year round. But they prefer water in the range from -1 to +10 degrees. When it gets too warm, sharks even go deeper on purpose, where it's cooler.
The depth and low temperature of the habitat are exactly the reason why the Greenland sharks rarely come into the view of scientists. They were first captured on camera in 1995.
At the same time, it cannot be said that these sharks are fast: they probably save the heat and energy of the body, therefore they are considered very slow, especially compared to other sharks.
And where to rush if they live at least 272 years, which is why they are considered centenarians among vertebrates, and one, as mentioned earlier, was found 392 years old (according to some estimates, the possible age is even 512 years old!)! Its length was 5 meters!
Scientists attribute this to low metabolism. Female sharks reach sexual maturity only at 150 years old
Interestingly, the meat of the Greenland shark is poisonous and contains high levels of trimethylamine oxide, which causes intestinal disorders and neurological problems. However, Iceland people prepare it in such a way that all toxins are destroyed.
Greenland sharks are apex predators, that is, they are at the top of the food chain and eat other sharks and marine life.
