Greenland Shark
The Greenland Shark is very notable by this point, as it has managed to stand out due to its long life. Studies have shown that these sharks, often found in cooler arctic waters, can live up to 500 years. This was clearly surprising for most marine biologists as well as regular animal biologists at the time. However, today we know there are creatures that can live longer. On top of that, there are even tree systems that have lasted for hundreds of years as well. Yet the Greenland Shark still manages to baffle us, making it one of the most mysterious animals in the wild today.
What might also surprise people is that this shark evolved to produce trimethylamine N-oxide in high concentrations. This aids the shark to allow the species to live at lower depths. However, many people in the arctic territories (including both Iceland and Greenland) have hunted the shark for food for centuries. It is considered a delicacy in this part of the world. The issue is that due to the trimethylamine N-oxide, the meat is too toxic to eat. Yet the people in these areas know how to treat the meat, and know how to remove its toxicity. That said, this shark species is not exactly easy to find these days and the ICUN considers it to be “vulnerable.”