Greenland shark

Lithograph of Greenland shark. This shows details of the teeth, skin and eye, as well as the characteristic parasite the Greenland shark often carries. The lithograph is by the French artist Auguste Mayer. Together with mainly naturalists Paul Gaimard and Eugene Robert, Mayer participated in a scientific expedition to Iceland and Greenland in 1835‑36.
SSPL/SCIENCE & SOCIETY/RITZAU SCANPIX, 2003

The Greenland shark can be found round all of Greenland and generally lives in the cold waters of the North Atlantic where it can be found from the surface down to a depth of 3 km. Until World War II, the Greenland shark was subjected to commercial exploitation because of its valuable liver oil, which was used as e.g. an excellent machine oil. Today, the sharks are mostly a nuisance to the fishery of Greenland halibut, and its meat is only used as dog food.

Although the Greenland shark reaches sexual maturity late and only gives birth to a few young, the population in the North Atlantic has apparently survived earlier commercial exploitation. Despite the historical exploitation, very little is known about the biology of sharks and their role in the ecosystem. They are apparently omnivorous, as remains from both snails, varies species of fish, seals and even large whales have been found in the sharks’ stomachs. It is not known whether the sharks only go for carcasses, or whether they are fast enough to catch live prey such as seals, which are often found in their stomachs.

What makes the Greenland shark particularly special is its potential lifespan of up to 200‑300 years, making it one of the longest-living animals on earth. This has been demonstrated through Cc14 analyses of the eye lens and is supported by observations showing that the sharks grow extremely slowly.

Further reading

Read more about Nature and landscape in Greenland