Comment on ‘Awe-inspiring and harrowing’: how two orcas with a taste for liver decimated the great white shark capital of the world

TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

• kandoh@reddthat.com ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  The liver of the great white shark is highly nutritious and energy-dense, containing up to 75.9% lipids in dry mass and an energy density of 34.1 kJ/g[3]. It is rich in squalene and essential fatty acids, making it a valuable energy source for predators like killer whales, which target it exclusively[2][5]. Humans have consumed shark liver, often frying it, but it is not recommended due to high mercury levels[6]. Its taste is described as rich and oily, reflecting its high fat content, but culinary use is rare because of toxicity concerns[6].

  Citations: [1] How the liver contributes to stomach warming in the endothermic … …biologists.com/…/how-the-liver-contributes-to-st… [2] All about a Great White Sharks Liver - OCEAN SAFARIS oceansafaris.com/…/all-about-a-great-white-sharks… [3] Lipid, Fatty Acid and Energy Density Profiles of White Sharks pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4037211/ [4] Great white shark stomach study shows surprising supper source sciencefocus.com/…/great-white-shark-stomach-stud… [5] Why Are Killer Whales Ripping Livers Out of Their Shark Prey? scientificamerican.com/…/why-do-killer-whales-rip… [6] Any recipes for stingray or shark liver, if edible at all? - Reddit reddit.com/…/any_recipes_for_stingray_or_shark_li… [7] Great white sharks being ‘poached’ by killer whales as bigger … www.gbnews.com/news/…/328560 [8] Great white shark - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_white_shark

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