Greenland sharks are large cold-water predators that can live hundreds of years. One century old specimen recently washed up on a beach. The dead Greenland shark is now providing scientists with information about the not-well-known species. A Greenland shark autopsy showed the cause of death.
According to LiveScience the shark died of a brain disease, specifically meningitis. According to the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) meningitis is a disease caused by the inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord.
According to the website the Greenland shark autopsy was revealing:
“Pathologists discovered evidence of meningitis, an inflammation of the protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord, according to a statement from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). This is the first reported disease-related death in a Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus), an elusive, long-lived species that lives in the deep waters of the Arctic and North Atlantic.
“During the post-mortem examination, the brain did look slightly discoloured and congested and the fluid around the brain was cloudy, raising the possibility of infection,” James Barnett, a pathologist with Cornwall Marine Pathology Team, a part of the U.K. Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) and ZSL, said in the statement.” (Linksin original)
Greenland sharks have been in the news recently because they have been found in unexpected places The deep sea cold water sharks have been found in the tropics, puzzling experts. Some now think they may be more common than thought and more widespread. The Greenland shark autopsy, meanwhile, may provide more information about them.
