Rare 150-year-old Greenland shark washes up in Ireland
Summary
A rare Greenland shark, estimated to be about 150 years old, washed up on the coast of County Sligo, Ireland. The shark will be preserved and studied by the Natural History Museum of Ireland to help scientists learn more about this unusual deep-water species.Key Facts
- The Greenland shark can live more than 500 years, the longest for any vertebrate (animal with a backbone).
- This shark was found dead on the Irish coast at Finisklin, County Sligo.
- It is the first time a Greenland shark has been found stranded on Ireland’s shore.
- The shark found was about 2 meters (6 feet 6 inches) long and male, possibly near maturity.
- Greenland sharks live in very cold waters around the Arctic and north Atlantic.
- They move slowly and use strong suction to catch food, relying on their sense of smell because they are thought to be blind.
- The shark’s male reproductive organs, called claspers, were well-developed.
- The Natural History Museum of Ireland used special equipment to remove the shark and will perform a detailed scientific examination.
- The museum plans to preserve tissue and parts of the shark and might put it on display for the public.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
