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Trawler snares rare shark

ACCORDING to the South East Trawl Fishing Industry Association’s (SETFIA) latest newsletter, a trawler fishing in 420m off Portland early this year captured a rare Greenland shark. 

The prehistoric Greenland Shark is a member of the Somniosidae family of sharks also known as sleeper sharks which are generally only described as occurring in the North Atlantic around Greenland in the sub-Arctic.

Greenland sharks are the only shark comparable in size to the great white shark; this specimen was reportedly 4.8m long and estimated to weigh 1.5 tonnes, its girth was approaching 3m.

Greenland Sharks have been reported to reach 5.8 metres. The species prey on fish, squid, and Eskimos report having found seals, reindeer (in one case an entire carcass), polar bears and horses in their stomachs.

For more information and to view footage of a live specimen go to:
http://www.setfia.org.au/item/rare-greenland-shark-captured.html?category_id=7

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