What is the maximum recorded age of a Greenland shark?

The oldest estimated Greenland shark reached about 392 years of age. That figure comes from radiocarbon dating of eye-lens proteins and is reported with a large uncertainty, commonly written as 392 ± 120 years.

Greenland sharks are among the longest-lived vertebrates known. Researchers estimate their lifespans broadly at roughly 272 to 512 years, while the 392-year figure refers to the oldest individual in a study rather than a precisely measured birthday. Eye-lens chemistry is useful because the lens forms early and changes little afterward.

These sharks’ extreme longevity is linked to their cold, deep-water environment and exceptionally slow growth. They may grow only about half a centimetre per year and reach sexual maturity at around 150 years. Their slow life history also makes populations vulnerable to fishing pressure.

The answer is sometimes simplified to “400 years,” but 392 years is the standard cited estimate. It is not a confirmed age measured year by year, so the uncertainty matters.