28/04/2022
Living in arctic conditions affects the Greenland shark in a number of remarkable ways. For one, they move incredibly slow, at an average speed of fewer than one mile per hour. But their movement isn't the only thing slow about them; they also grow slowly. Adult Greenland sharks may reach up to 16 feet, but will only grow about one centimeter each year. At that rate, it takes about 150 years for a female Greenland shark to reach maturity. With such a slow growth rate, it's only natural that these sharks would have exceptional longevity, often living up to 400 years.