For humans, it’s a huge and rare milestone to make it to 100 years old. It’s tough to even imagine what being alive for a whole century would be like.
However, one shark caught off the coast of Greenland makes centenarians look like babies. In fact, scientists estimated the shark could be up to centuries old.
If you’re thinking that they must be talking about a fossil, think again. This living, water-breathing Greenland shark might have been born as early as 1505. For reference, that’s when King Henry VIII began his complicated divorce proceedings with Catherine of Aragon.
Any creature born that long ago is sure to have seen its fair share of things. Interestingly enough, this specimen is likely blind, and has been for a long time.
This is due to their dark, deep-sea dwelling, and the fact that parasites often grow on their small eyes and impair their vision, according to Shark Sider.
Thumbnail Photo: Instagram / Juniel85
[H/T: The Sun]
Scientists are used to finding very old Greenland sharks.
While this one may be the oldest yet, the species is known for their longevity.
They live deep in the icy Arctic waters off Greenland, and are known to move very, very slowly to conserve energy, which is part of what helps them to live for so long.
These sharks also grow slowly — only one centimeter per year.
This is part of how scientists determined its age. At 18 feet, the shark could be anywhere from 272 and 400 years old. Pervious reports claimed it could be over 500 years old, but The Washington Post revealed that is likely an exaggeration. Radiocarbon dating also confirmed this.
This particular shark is the oldest of 28 sharks that have been studied by scientists.
Interestingly, no one has been ever been able to observe them hunting due to the depth they live at.
They mostly eat fish, and are thought to use their impeccable sense of smell to hunt down their prey since their eyes aren’t of much use.
Some specimens have even been found with remains of reindeer and horses inside of them, no doubt after their bodies descended into the oblivion.
It is also possible that the sharks function wholly as scavengers and enjoy some fallen narwhal, beluga whale, and polar bear in their diets, too.
In the off chance that you ever catch a Greenland shark, make sure you know how to pretreat the meat first.
Native residents consider their meat a delicacy, but are aware that the flesh is toxic due to high level of trimethylamine N-oxide, a natural antifreeze, according to Wired.
Another thing that makes these sharks so interesting is that they are some of the only animals that live in freezing Arctic water all year long.
It’s even possible that the cold temperatures are their secret to longevity!
Research about the Greenland shark and what makes it live so long is going to hopefully help scientists crack the code about longevity for humans, too.
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