A 100-year-old Greenland shark with a length of 4m washes up on the British coast
A rare Greenland shark recently washed up on a beach in the UK, experts think the shark may be at least 100 years old, but they are not sure why it washed up on land.
The shark’s carcass was first discovered on the sands of Newlyn Harbour, Cornwall, on the southwest coast of England, on March 13. But before experts arrived to examine it, the tide had come in and take it out to sea.
The shark was later discovered adrift off the coast of Cornwall on March 15 by an entertainment company called Mermaid Pleasure Trips and brought back to shore. Greenland sharks are rarely seen in the UK and this is the second Greenland shark case recorded in the country.
“While it is sad that these beautiful, spectacular animals run aground on the beach, it is a valuable opportunity for us to study.”said Abby Crosby, a marine conservation official.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Greenland shark (scientific name: Somniosus microcephalus) lives in the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans at depths up to more than 2,600 meters. A 2016 study published in the journal Science estimated that these sharks can live for at least 272 years, but scientists still have a lot to learn about the species.
The shark that washed up in Cornwall was a juvenile female, measuring 4 meters long and weighing 285 kilograms. Although researchers still don’t know the exact age of the shark, Greenland sharks usually reach sexual maturity when they’re about 150 years old, with adults reaching 7.3 meters long.
James Barnett, a veterinary pathologist in Cornwall, performed an autopsy on the shark on March 16.
Barnett says: “It looks like the shark was still alive when it washed ashore, it died on the beach. It hasn’t eaten in a while, its stomach completely empty.”
Barnett said the shark showed signs of sepsis, but it remains unclear why the shark didn’t eat and ended up stuck in shallow water off Cornwall. There are many reasons marine animals run aground and die on beaches, including disease, but ocean currents and other marine conditions also contribute to bringing them to shore.
Crosby says: “Most of the animals stranded in the area are dolphins, and all of them die within a kilometer of the shoreline. Since Greenland sharks often swim far from the shore, the chances of one being swept ashore are really rare.”
Barnett said the samples taken from the carcass would help inform research on Greenland sharks, such as studies investigating their lives and diets.
Reference: LiveScience
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