Largest fish [Deep sea]
Last updated: May 23, 2018 at 18:25 pm
The Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) can grow to a length of 7 m (23 ft) and has been documented at a depth of 2,200 m (7,218 ft). The Greenland shark uses the entire water column and can also be observed swimming at the surface. It is also known as the sleeper shark due to its lethargic behaviour and slow swimming speed. It is also the world’s oldest marine vertebrate.
Herdendorf, C.E. and Berra, T.M. 1995. A Greenland shark from the wreck of the SS Central America at 2,200 meters. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 124(6): 950–953.
Greenland Shark and Elasmobranch Education & Research Group
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Jeffrey Gallant is the Editor-in-Chief and Records Keeper of the Diving Almanac. He is also a contributing editor of DIVER Magazine, and the scientific director of the Greenland Shark and Elasmobranch Education and Research Group (GEERG). Jeffrey started diving in 1982.
