It\u2019s the tale of the old man-eater and the sea.<\/p>\n
Beachcombers in Ireland were taken aback after stumbling across the carcass of an ancient Greenland shark \u2014 a massive predator that can live for 500 years.<\/p>\n
Hammad Chaudhry and James Winters O\u2019Donnell had been strolling along the shore in Finisklin, County Sligo, when they happened upon the ferocious-looking flotsam, marking the first time the species had been stranded in the Emerald Isle, Jam Press reported.<\/p>\n
The beached Greenland Shark (above) was estimated to be about 150 years old. Jam Press\/@irishwhaleanddolphingroup<\/p>\n
Initially believed to be a dead basking shark, the nearly 9\u00bd-foot fish was reported to the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group. They confirmed the corpse belonged to a Greenland Shark, calling it a \u201cvery rare and interesting stranding,\u201d local media reported.<\/a><\/p>\n The specimen has since been collected by the Natural History Museum for further examination.<\/p>\n This particular specimen was believed to be 150 years old, with specialists suspecting that, based on its \u201cvery developed claspers,\u201d it was close to maturity before becoming stranded.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Greenland\u00a0Shark\u00a0is the longest living vertebrate in the world,\u201d a rep with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group explained. Jam Press\/@irishwhaleanddolphingroup<\/p>\n Despite living longer than any recorded human, this was still just a young pup by species standards.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Greenland\u00a0Shark\u00a0is the longest living vertebrate in the world with a life span of several centuries; the oldest recorded specimen was over half a millennium in age,\u201d according to a spokesperson for the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group.<\/p>\n One of the world\u2019s largest sharks, this massive sea beast can grow to be over 20 feet long \u2014 nearly the length of a U-Haul truck.<\/p>\n The shark is examined by personnel with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group. Jam Press\/@irishwhaleanddolphingroup<\/p>\n While certainly tragic, the stranding has perhaps provided a unique opportunity to glean more insight into the elusive beast, which resides some 7,000 feet down in the frigid waters off the Arctic and North Atlantic. <\/p>\n Characterized by its heavy-set body and short, rounded head with small eyes, the Greenland Shark preys on a variety of critters, including char, wolf eels, small sharks, and on occasion, seals and porpoises, according to the Florida Museum.<\/a><\/p>\n However, they don\u2019t pose a threat to people, mainly because their environment is too cold for human swimmers.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, the inverse isn\u2019t true. <\/p>\n