Category: Fish
This species of shark can be found in temperate and sub-tropical ocean waters worldwide. They inhabit the continental shelf, their habitat ranges sandy shorelines to submerged reefs at depths of around 625 feet. It is a relative of the white shark and looks fearsome but it is actually a relatively placid, slow-moving shark with no recorded human fatalities. It is unique among sharks in that it can gulp air, which allows it to maintain its position in the water column with little effort. During pregnancy, the most developed embryos will feed on its siblings, a strategy known as “intrauterine cannibalism.”
The Oldest Fish in the Sea?
The Greenland Sleeper Shark, the only living species of sub-Arctic shark, is an apex predator only slightly smaller than the great white shark, with an estimated lifespan of 200 years - one of the longest-living vertebrates on the planet. While the Greenland Shark is a slow swimmer, it will eat just about anything: eels, flounders, other sharks, seals - and those are just animals who live in the water! Polar bear remains and even an entire reindeer body have been found inside these sharks! Fortunately, while there are Inuit legends of Greenland sharks attacking kayaks, there have been no reports of human predation. There have been, however many cases of people eating Greenland sharks! Their meat is highly toxic - it will produce effects in your body similar to being extremely drunk, but a fermented version that has been hung out to dry for several weeks is considered a delicacy in Iceland.
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