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ANDY MURCH ELASMO GEEK

 

WHAT IS ELASMODIVER?

Not just a huge collection of Shark Pictures: Elasmodiver.com contains images of sharks, skates, rays, and a few chimaera's from around the world. Elasmodiver began as a simple web based shark field guide to help divers find the best places to encounter the different species of sharks and rays that live in shallow water but it has slowly evolved into a much larger project containing information on all aspects of shark diving and shark photography.

There are now more than 10,000 shark pictures  and sections on shark evolution, biology, and conservation. There is a large library of reviewed shark books, a constantly updated shark taxonomy page, a monster list of shark links, and deeper in the site there are numerous articles and stories about shark encounters. Elasmodiver is now so difficult to check for updates, that new information and pictures are listed on an Elasmodiver Updates Page that can be accessed here:

WHAT'S NEW?

Shark picture - green sawfish

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Greenland Shark

View all available Greenland Shark Pictures

Common Names: Greenland Shark, Slurry Shark, Atlantic Sleeper Shark, Ground Shark.

Latin Name: Somniosus microcephalus

Family: Somniosidae - Sleeper sharks.

Identification: A large, heavy bodied shark. Very low first and second dorsal fins set well back on body. Snout broadly rounded. Small light blue eyes often with trailing parasites. Dorsal coloration mottled grey/brown. Ventrum also mottled but lighter. No dorsal spines.

Size: Maximum length 8 meters (Largest squaloid and 4th largest shark) size at birth 40 cm.

Habitat: From surface to at least 2200m on mud flats and rocky reefs. Enters shallow bays and brackish river mouths possibly to feed. Temperature range from 1 - 12 degrees.

Distribution: Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans. Eastern Canada and New England to Northern Europe. Occasionally as far south as France.

Diet and behavior: Moves sluggishly over seabed. May be prone to spurts of acceleration when feeding as pinnipeds are part of diet. One animal had the remains of a caribou in its stomach. Feeds on pelagic and bottom fishes (herring, Atlantic salmon, Arctic char, capelin, redfish, sculpins, lumpfish, cod, haddock, Atlantic halibut, Greenland halibut and skates, sharks and skates, seals and small cetaceans, sea birds, squids, crabs, amphipods, marine snails, brittle stars, sea urchins, and jellyfish. Possibly utilizes parasite to lure prey but the parasitic copepod that attaches to eye has been shown not to be bioluminescent.

Reproduction: Ovoviviparous. Litter size from 1- 10. Low population doubling time - 14 years.

Conservation Status: The Greenland shark is considered NEAR THREATENED by the IUCN.
An extremely long-lived and slow-growing elasmobranch with limited reproductive capacity. Historically targeted for its liver oil in Norway, Iceland and Greenland with catches reaching 32,000 sharks/year in the 1910s in Greenland alone. These fisheries may have had a significant impact on this species, but the rate of historical decline (if any) is unknown. Presently taken as bycatch in trawl, gillnet and trap fisheries, as well as in Arctic artisanal fisheries. Its population dynamics and biology are not well understood but its large size and slow growth rate suggest it is vulnerable to fishing pressure. This shark is listed as Near Threatened on the basis of possible population declines and limiting life history characteristics. There is a need to examine historical data and monitor current bycatch levels.

Photographs: Baie Comeau, Quebec, Canada.

Similar species: Pacific sleep shark.

Reaction to divers: Apparently curious. In Baie Comeau, Greenland sharks slowly materialize from the depths and closely approach divers, sometimes remaining within visibility for 20 minutes or more. If accidentally touched or blocked, they are easily spooked. Some divers have used repetitive banging noises to attract the sharks. Greenland Sharks retreat from bright lights and camera flashes.

Diving logistics: The only place to reliably dive with Greenland Sharks is in a few small bays around Baie Comeau in Quebec, Canada. Silvain Sirois leads trips during the summer months that have a good rate of success but sometimes the sharks show up late in the season or leave early.

Non-english names:

小头睡鲨(大西洋睡鲨) China Mandarin Chinese

小頭睡鯊(大西洋睡鯊) China Mandarin Chinese

Almindelig Havkal Denmark Danish

Eishai Germany German

Ekalugssuak Greenland Inuktitut

Ekalugssûp piarâ Greenland Inuktitut

Ekalukjuak Can Quebec Inuktitut

Eqaludjuaq Can Quebec Inuktitut

Eqalugssuaq Greenland Inuktitut

Eqaluksuaq Greenland Inuktitut

Eqalukuak Canada Inuktitut

Eqalussuaq Greenland Greenlandic

Eqalusuaq Greenland Inuktitut

Groenlandse haai Netherlands Dutch

Groenlandse haai South Africa Afrikaans

Groenlandse haai Turkey Turkish

Grönlandhai Germany German

Ground shark UK English

Grønlandshaj Denmark Danish

Håkäring Sweden Swedish

Hákarl Iceland Icelandic

Hákelling Faeroe Is Faroese

Håkjerring Norway Norwegian

Havkal Denmark Danish

Holkeri Finland Finnish

Iqalugjuaq Canada Inuktitut

Iqalujjuaq Canada Inuktitut

Iqalukuak Canada Inuktitut

Laimargue Canada French

Laimargue du Groenland France French

Oakettle UK English

Rechin de Groelanda Romania Rumanian

Rekin polarny Poland Polish

Squalo di Groenlandia lemargo Italy Italian

Tiburón boreal Spain Spanish

Tollo boreal Spain Spanish

Tollo de Groenlandia Spain Spanish

Tubarao da Gronelândia Portugal Portuguese

Tubarao de Gronelândia Portugal Portuguese

Tubarão-da-noite Portugal Portuguese

References: 

Kyne, P.M., Sherrill-Mix, S.A. & Burgess, G.H. 2006. Somniosus microcephalus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2006: e.T60213A12321694. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2006.RLTS.T60213A12321694.en. Downloaded on 26 June 2018.

 

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