This vertebrate is considered the oldest for an impressive reason: it is 518 years old!
Photo: Hemming1952 / Wikimedia Commons
Because of its age, the species continues to fascinate both scientists and marine enthusiasts.
Photo: Matt Hardy Unsplash
Known for its longevity, the Greenland shark surprised experts when it was spotted in an unconventional region of its natural habitat.
Photo: Manu Schwendener Unsplash
The unlikely encounter occurred during a tiger shark tagging expedition.
Photo: public domain
The team of biologists found a unique specimen of the Greenland shark, which was born around 1505.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons Gervais et Boulart
The shark, known for living in cold waters, was thousands of kilometers from its natural environment this time.
Photo: Tim Johnson Unsplash
Previous research led by biologist Julius Nielsen from the University of Copenhagen has shown that Greenland sharks have the remarkable ability to live over 400 years!
Photo: Wikimedia Commons Charlotte SH Jensen
The new discovery provided scientists with a unique opportunity to study the readaptability and migration patterns of this fascinating species.
Photo: flickr NOAA Photo Library
Greenland sharks are large animals up to 7 meters long and weighing up to 1.5 tons.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
They have a cylindrical body with a large head and small eyes. Their skin is gray or brown and their flesh is white and fatty.
Photo: flikr Super Bomba
Greenland sharks are slow and sedentary animals. They usually live in deep waters, between 200 and 1,200 meters deep.
Photo: Tim Marshall Unsplash
Their diet consists mainly of fish such as cod, squid and herring, as well as seals and whales.
Photo: Milos Prelevic Unsplash
Greenland sharks are solitary creatures. They breed in spring and the females give birth to live young after a gestation period of 23 years. The young animals are around 60 centimeters long at birth.
Photo: public domain
The Greenland shark population is declining due to hunting and pollution. The species is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons Ivar Arne Vartdal
It is thanks to its very slow metabolism that the Greenland shark can live so long.
Photo: flickr Julian Idrobo
Other animals that may be among the oldest in the world include glass sponges (photo), which can live between 5,000 and 18,000 years; Red sea urchins live up to 200 years;
Photo: Wikimedia Commons Wilson44691
Hawksbill turtles, which can live up to 150 years, and horseshoe crabs, which can live up to 100 years.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons Jpdandretta
Greenland is the natural habitat of the world’s oldest shark and is considered the largest island in the world with an area of more than 2.1 million square meters.
Photo: public domain
Greenland lies in the Arctic Ocean between Canada and Iceland and is an autonomous region of Denmark, but not an independent country.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons TUBS
The island was discovered by Europeans in 982, particularly the Viking explorer Erik the Red.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons Arngrímur Jónsson
The population of Greenland is around 57,000 and the economy is based on fishing, mining and tourism.
Photo: Reproduction from the website Secretosdomundo.r7.com
The island is covered by a huge layer of ice, which makes up about 80% of its surface. Greenland is also a popular destination for observing the Northern Lights.
Photo: Ken Mathiasen Unsplash
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Photo: Freepik Wirestock