#Repost @aproctor.art with @repostapp ・・・ Super cool shark alert, the Greenland Shark is 9/365 in the #yearofsharksproject ! Part of the dogfish order, Greenland sharks are the only true subarctic shark- their flesh contains high levels of urea and trimethylamine oxide that acts as a natural antifreeze. They can also slow down their life processes as the waters get colder, which is handy in their deep arctic water habitats! Greenland sharks can grow up to 22ft in length but have never been recorded attacking humans, not even the divers who tag them. They do hunt large game, and have been known to ambush reindeer, seals, and polar bears that get too close to the edge of ice floes. These sharks are almost always blind, as parasitic copepods tend to attach themselves to the eyes and eat the tissue. However, there is some mutual symbiosis between the species- scientists theorize that the bioluminescence released by the crustaceans may help lure some smaller prey for the sharks. Greenland sharks have an incredibly slow growth rate, reaching sexual maturity around 150 years and living as old as 400! However, this slow growth rate has contributed to them being listed as Near Threatened, with past and present fishing pressure making their longevity difficult- it is suggested that the species are still recovering after being hunted in large groups during WWII for their livers that were processed into machine oil ❤🦈❤ . #yearofsharksproject #greenlandshark #shark #sharkadvocate #sharkeducation #art #painting #watercolour #ink #artist #artivism #artforgood #ocean #oceanconservation #saveourseas #saveoursharks #respectsharks #respectthefin #nofear #nofinsoup #nofinsnofuture #deepsea
