Researchers filmed a rare sleeper shark near South Shetland Islands in Antarctica
This may be the first recording of the species that far south
Sleeper sharks can live over 272 years according to scientific studies
Their body fluids have similar freezing point to seawater, enabling survival in cold waters
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Researchers, including associate professor Arve Lynghammar from the Norwegian College of Fishery Science in Tromso, recently captured footage of a rare 10-to-13-foot sleeper shark in the waters near the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, potentially marking the first recording of this species so far south in the polar region. According to Dr. Lynghammar, whose research focuses primarily on Arctic fish, scientists have limited knowledge about the specific species of sleeper shark spotted in these Antarctic waters. However, more is understood about the Greenland sleeper shark, which is among the largest fish native to Arctic waters. In a 2016 article published in Science, the peer-reviewed academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, researchers documented that Greenland sleeper sharks can live for more than 272 years, making them one of the longest-living vertebrates on Earth. The sleeper shark possesses remarkable biological adaptations that enable its survival in extreme cold environments. Dr. Lynghammar explained that these sharks have body fluids with a freezing point similar to seawater, which allows them to traverse frigid waters as they search for food. This unique physiological adaptation raises important questions about the biodiversity of polar ecosystems and how climate change might affect these specialized species in the future.
Marine biology is the scientific study of the biology of marine life, organisms that inhabit the sea. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather than on t...
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands located in the Drake Passage with a total area of 3,687 km2 (1,424 sq mi). They lie about 120 kilometres (65 nautical miles) north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between 430 and 900 km (230 and 485 nmi) southwest of the nearest point of th...
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Arve Lynghammar, an associate professor at the Norwegian College of Fishery Science in Tromso, whose research focuses on Arctic fish, said that while scientists know little about the species of sleeper shark spotted in Antarctica, more is known about the Greenland sleeper shark, among the largest fish native to Arctic waters. The Greenland species has a life span of more than 272 years, according to a 2016 article in Science, the peer-reviewed academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Sleeper sharks have body fluids with a similar freezing point as seawater, allowing them to traverse very cold water as they search for food, Dr. Lynghammar said.
