Greenland Shark
OrderSqualiformes
FamilySomniosidae
HabitatDeep Sea
RangeN. Atlantic, Arctic
Max Length640 cm
Max Weight1000 kg
DietCarnivore
About the Greenland Shark
The longest-lived vertebrate known. A 2016 radiocarbon study estimated the oldest sampled individual at around 400 years old. Grows only about a centimeter a year in near-freezing water. Many carry parasitic copepods attached to their eyes. Its flesh is toxic when fresh and is fermented to make Icelandic hakarl.