Greenland Sharks Grow Less Than One Centimeter Per Year

Researchers estimate sexual maturity occurs at roughly 4 meters in length, potentially after 150 years of growth.

A female may not reproduce until she is more than 100 years old, making population recovery painfully slow compared to faster-growing shark species.

This extreme slow-growth strategy makes the species highly vulnerable to fishing pressure and climate disruption, because removing even a few adults erases centuries of biological investment.