Great White Sharks Live for 70 Years or More

[n2doc]

Great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) live for about 70 years or more, according to a latest study.
Scientists at NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) used radiocarbon dating technique to estimate the age of four adult male and four adult female white sharks. All the eight specimens were caught between 1967 and 2010 in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean.

The study not only shows that great whites can live for as long as humans, but also reveals a flaw in current methods used to estimate shark age.

Disbanding the Growth Band Pairs

Previously, researchers used growth band pairs- "alternating opaque and translucent band pairs deposited in sequence in their vertebrae "- to estimate sharks' age. These bands are somewhat similar to tree-rings that are deposited annually. However, many biologists are still unsure whether the growth rings in the sharks are added uniformly each year.

"Deposition rates in vertebrae can change once the sharks reach sexual maturity, resulting in band pairs that are so thin they are unreadable. Age is therefore frequently underestimated," said Lisa Natanson, a fisheries biologist in the Apex Predators Program at NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC).

Previous research on shark specimens from Pacific and Indian Oceans had shown that none of the samples were older than 23 years of age.
more

http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/5583/20140109/great-white-sharks-live-70-years-more.htm

[BlueCaliDem]

1. Thank you! All my life, since becoming interested in these fascinating creatures,

I have been disappointed that marine biologists didn't know how old the Great White Shark could become. In fact, there was (is still?) very little known about this magnificent species of shark.

Finally, we get the answer - which supports my personal theory that the Great White can live as long as humans. I've always thought that was the case because of the already-known slow maturity rate of these creatures which led me to believe they have a longer lifespan than smaller fish.

It was just a hunch of mine. Now there is scientific proof that my hunch was right.

Thanks so much, n2doc, for sharing and answering a lifelong question I had.

[Scuba]

2. Sure, as long as they watch their diets ...

Too much neoprene is bad for a shark's health.