At what age does a female Greenland Shark reach sexual maturity?
The Greenland shark is one of the largest cartilaginous fishes. It can reach a length of 7 metres (23 feet) and a weight of 1,025 kg (2,260 pounds) when fully grown, but most are between 2 and 4 metres (6.5 and 13 feet). Little is known, however, about how the species reproduces. Females have proven to reach sexual maturity when they surpass the 4-metre (13-foot) mark in length, which takes approximately 150 years to achieve. They are ovoviviparous (that is, eggs are retained within the body until they hatch) and produce an average of 10 offspring at a time.
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4 Comments
stevemanning
Over 100 is a more correct answer as no one knows for sure because of their extremely slow growth. Even your answer says approximately 150 years because we just don't know for sure.
teacherchicky
What's truly amazing is that they can live up to 500 years, which would make studying or monitoring them extremely difficult! Imagine it taking several human generations to study the lifespan of one Greenland shark!
Johnny Rock
She ain't no spring chicken when she reaches her maturity, and when she does she takes a walk on the catwalk at 150. Who knew? Apparently, not to many.
Vimala Padmaraj
AT 150 YEARS OF AGE, I WILL BE MATURING IN MY GRAVE - GHOST GIRL ANYBODY????