The unknown ecology of the oldest vertebrate on earth, the greenland shark



A type of shark belonging to the order Somniosidae, ' Greenland shark ' has a maximum body length of 7.3 meters and is estimated to live for more than 200 years on average. As the name 'Greenland Shark' suggests , it lives in the vicinity of Greenland and introduces 11 characteristics of this creature known to the indigenous people of Greenland as 'Giant Fish'.

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◆ 01: The longest-lived vertebrate
Researchers to the individual of some of the Nishiondenzame radioactive carbon dating was carried out, that most older individuals is 392 ± 120-year-old became apparent . None of the fish, amphibians, birds, mammals, and all other known vertebrates live this long, and some of the individuals inhabiting as of 2020 lived before the invention of the telescope. You will be doing.

◆ 02: True apex predator
Greenland sharks have a wide variety of eating habits and prey on not only fish but also seals and polar bears. There is also the idea that the greenland shark is a true apex predator because the meat of the greenland shark is extremely poisonous and requires complicated processing for humans to eat.

◆ 03: Huge body
Greenland sharks grow to over 7 meters on average, and mature individuals weigh more than 1 ton. It continues to grow even when it matures, but it grows only about 2.5 cm every three years.

◆ 04: Slow speed and its eating habits
Greenland sharks swim at about 1.6 km / h and can reach up to 3 km / h. The swimming speed is much slower than that of humans, but due to its body color close to black, it is difficult for other fish to notice, and it sucks in and preys on approaching fish. It is said that 'young people' under the age of 120 mainly eat squid and other large fish when they mature. It is also called a 'sea vulture' because it also eats carrion such as drowned deer and polar bears.



◆ 05: Excellent feeling
Two-thirds of the greenland shark's brain is thought to be used for the sense of smell and can smell prey about 1.6 km away. In addition, greenland sharks are often infected with bioluminescent parasites and lose their eyesight, but the surrounding conditions can be detected by the shark's unique

ampullae of Lorenzini , olfaction, and organs called lateral lines .

◆ 06: Pressure resistance
Greenland sharks slowly move in the sea where the water temperature is close to 0 degrees. Like other sharks, it has cartilage instead of bones, so you can easily swim even at points about 3km below the surface where the scuba tank bursts.



◆ 07: Long gestation period
Female individuals usually become pregnant for as long as 12 years.

It has a unique breeding form called ovoviviparity, hatches eggs in the body, and develops about 10 children of about 30 cm to 60 cm in the body. A child born is sexually mature at about 150 years of age and can give birth for centuries thereafter.

◆ 08: Toxicity
It has a highly toxic substance called trimethylamine-N-oxide on the skin and tissues, which not only enhances buoyancy and immunity, but also prevents predation from other organisms.

◆ 09: Inhabited since ancient times
Little is known about how much greenland sharks live in the ocean, but they have a long history and are said to have lived for about 500 million years.

◆ 10: Skin
The skin of the greenland shark has jagged denticles that help protect it from predators. Scientists have discovered that this skin affects drag and turbulence during swimming, but it is not known how it actually works. Indigenous peoples of Greenland may attach greenland shark skin to the soles of their shoes to prevent them from slipping on wet ice surfaces.



◆ 11: Mysterious ecology
With the exception of the indigenous peoples of Greenland and the Icelanders, little is known about their ecology and research is underway. No photography was done until 1995, and it wasn't until 2003 that it was first recorded in the video. The moment of mating and birth of the greenland shark has not yet been observed and has never been placed in human captivity for more than a month.

in Creature, Posted by log1p_kr