GREENLAND SHARK

(Somniosus microcephalus), member of the spiny dogfish family Squalidae (class Selachii). This large shark, which can reach a length of 7 m (24 feet) and a weight of 1,025 kg (2,250 pounds), is fished commercially near Greenland at a depth of 180 to 550 m. In the early 1900s as many as 30,000 Greenland sharks were caught a year. About 30 gallons of oil can be obtained from a large specimen. The flesh is toxic and must be dried before eating. Greenland sharks are similar to spiny dogfish except that they lack a spine in front of the second dorsal fin and usually the one on the first dorsal fin.