BrotherScientists have recorded for the first time that the Greenland shark, which can live for hundreds of years, contracted meningitis.
An autopsy of the Greenland shark stranded in Cornwall, England, in March showed it had meningitis. Image: Cornwall Marine Pathology Group
New test results show that a rare Greenland shark that washed up on British shores last month suffered a brain infection when it died. Live Science reported on April 8.
Specifically, pathologists found evidence of meningitis, an inflammation of the protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord, according to the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). This is the first death related to this disease recorded in a Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) – a mysterious animal with an exceptionally long lifespan, living in the deep waters of the Arctic and North Atlantic Ocean.
“On autopsy, the shark’s brain appeared slightly discolored and congested, and the fluid around the brain was cloudy, suggesting possible infection,” said James Barnett, a pathologist in the Cornwall Marine Pathology Group. of the UK Stranded Whales Research Program (CSIP) and ZSL, said.
Examining shark brain fluid with a microscope, experts discovered Pasteurella bacteria. “This could be the cause of meningitis,” says Barnett.
The Greenland shark is estimated to be about 100 years old when it dies. This may sound like a big number, but it’s actually young for a Greenland shark, even an immature female. Scientists don’t know exactly how long these sharks live, but they can live to at least 272 years old, according to a study published in the journal Nature. Science 2016.
The 100-year-old Greenland shark was 4 meters long and weighed 285 kilograms and washed up near Newlyn Harbor in Cornwall, southwest England, on March 13, but then the tide swept the animal back into the sea. A cruise company recovered the body on March 15. To date, this is the second Greenland shark to be stranded in the UK on record. Meningococcal disease may help explain why it ventures out of deep water and eventually runs aground.
The shark’s body was damaged and there were signs of bleeding in the soft tissue around the pectoral fins, in the abdomen containing sand and mud. This shows that the shark was still alive when it washed up on the shore. “To our knowledge, this is one of the first UK autopsies of a Greenland shark and the first case of meningitis recorded in this species,” Barnett said.
The death of the Greenland shark provides information about the life and death of an animal we know very little about, according to CSIP team leader Rob Deaville. “Like most marine life, deep-sea species like the Greenland shark can also be affected by humans. However, at this time there is not enough evidence to infer any link.” Deaville commented.
Thu Thao (According to Live Science)
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