Marine biologists were surprised to discover a cold-water shark far from its usual habitat. In a recent study, titled "First report of a sleeper shark (Somniosus sp.) in the western Caribbean, off the insular slope of a coral atoll" published in the journal Marine Biology, they reported encountering a Greenland shark in the Caribbean Sea.
Scientists were in the process of tagging and temporarily capturing tiger sharks along Belize's coastline when they came across the enigmatic shark, known as the planet's longest-living vertebrate.
Greenland Shark in the Caribbean Sea
While conducting research on tiger sharks near Belize's Glover's Reef Atoll, scientists placed a line that unexpectedly moved several miles into waters as deep as 2,000 feet.
Biologist Devvanshi Kasana, a Ph.D. candidate at Florida International University's Predator Ecology and Conservation lab, said they suddenly saw a slow-moving, sluggish creature under the water that looked like something that would exist in prehistoric times.
To their surprise, they found a Greenland shark when they retrieved their gear, initially mistaking it for a sixgill shark but later confirming its identity through photographs.
This discovery, although unusual in the vicinity of a coral reef in Belize, is plausible because Greenland sharks are known to thrive in the frigid, deep waters of the Arctic and could potentially inhabit other deep-sea regions like the Caribbean. The steep slope of the nearby reef creates an environment characterized by cold and darkness, which suits Greenland sharks.
This finding prompts questions about the shark's origins, such as whether it migrated from Arctic waters to the Caribbean or if it primarily inhabited the tropical depths of the region throughout its life. While these questions remain unanswered, they raise the possibility of more undiscovered Greenland sharks dwelling in the Caribbean's obscure depths.
Demian Chapman of Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium believes it is improbable that this specific shark is the sole representative of its kind in the area.
Facts About Greenland Shark Reproduction
Greenland sharks can live up to 250 to 500 years, making them the longest-living vertebrates on Earth. They live thousands of feet underwater so little is known about their long lives. Down in the dark depths of the ocean, these sharks grow, move, and age slowly to conserve energy that lets them adapt to their nutrient-scarce environment.
In 2020, researchers conducted genetic analysis on two separate populations of Greenland sharks, wherein one swims near the Baffin Basin in Canada, and the other occupies the Atlantic Ocean between Nova Scotia and Svalbard near Norway. They found that Greenland sharks are scavengers that eat everything from fish, polar bears, seals, and whales.
Some of these species could also grow up to 24 feet long and weigh up to 2,645 pounds (1,200 kilograms). Lastly, a 2016 study shows that Greenland sharks only reach sexual maturity when they reach 134 years old.
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