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What is the longest living animal on earth?
The lifespans of some members of the animal kingdom extend to reach centuries and thousands of years, and some animals can even stop or completely reverse the aging process and come close to immortality.
The animal kingdom can boast incredibly long lifespans, most of which exceed the average human lifespan. If man has an “absolute limit” of 150 years, it is only the blink of an eye compared to the centuries and thousands of years that certain animals live; some animals can even stop or completely reverse the aging process.
And while there are long-lived land animals – the oldest turtle, for example, is almost 190 years old – none are on this list, all true champions of longevity live in water.
Here are 10 of the longest-living animals in the world today, according to Live Science.
1. Bowhead whale: more than 200 years old
The bowhead whale ( Balaena mysticetus ) is the longest-lived mammal, and this Arctic Ocean whale could be over 200 years old, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The whales have mutations in a gene called (ERCC1), which is involved in repairing damaged DNA, and which may help protect whales from cancer. aging.
2. Vermilion rockfish: over 200 years old
The maximum lifespan of the carmine rockfish ( Sebastes aleutianus ) is at least 205 years, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
This fish lives in the Pacific Ocean, from California to Japan. It reaches a length of 97 centimeters and feeds on other animals such as shrimps and small fish.
3. Molds: more than 250 years old
The freshwater pearl mussel ( Margaritifera margaritifera ) – a bivalve that filters food particles from water – lives mainly in rivers and streams and is found in Europe and North America.
These invertebrates have a long life thanks to a low metabolism. The oldest freshwater mussel is 280 years old, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature, but it is currently an endangered species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
4. The Greenland shark: more than 272 years old
The Greenland shark ( Somniosus microcephalus ) lives in the depths of the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean.
It can grow up to 7.3 meters in length and its diet includes a variety of other animals. They are considered the longest-lived vertebrates on Earth, with a 2016 study estimating that these sharks can have a maximum lifespan of at least 272 years.
5. Tubular worms: more than 300 years
A study published in 2017 found that a species of tubeworm ( Escarpia laminata ) lives on the ocean floor for up to 200 years, and some specimens live for over 300 years.
Tube worms – which are invertebrates – live in the cold deep sea environment with few natural threats, which has helped them to have such a long lifespan.
6. Ocean clam: more than 500 years old
Ocean clam ( Arctica islandica ) is the common name for certain molluscs living in the North Atlantic. One was discovered off the coast of Iceland in 2006 and was 507 years old, according to the National Museum of Wales in the UK.
7. Black coral: more than 4000 years old
Corals are made up of exoskeletons of invertebrates called polyps, which constantly reproduce by creating genetically identical copies, which over time causes the corals’ exoskeleton to grow. Therefore, corals are made up of several identical organisms rather than a single organism.
Corals can live for hundreds of years or more, and samples of black corals (Leiopathes sp.) found in deep waters off the coast of Hawaii were 4,265 years old.
8. Glass sponge: more than 10,000 years old
Sponges are colonies of animals that resemble coral reefs and can also live for thousands of years. Glass sponges have a glass-like skeleton, and are among the longest-lived sponges on Earth.
A study published in 2012 estimated the glass sponge species Monorhaphis chuni to be around 11,000 years old. Other sponges might be able to live longer.
9. The jellyfish: immortal
The immortal jellyfish ( Turritopsis dohrnii ) is called the immortal jellyfish because it probably lives forever. Jellyfish start life as larvae, and jellyfish, which are native to the Mediterranean, can reverse their life cycle many times and therefore may never die of old age, according to the Natural History Museum in London.
The size of the immortal jellyfish is less than 4.5mm, and it is eaten by other animals such as fish and may die by other means, and therefore cannot achieve actual immortality.
10. Hydra: Immortal
The hydra is a group of small, smooth-bodied invertebrates somewhat resembling that of a jellyfish, and possibly also able to live forever.
It is largely made up of stem cells, which are constantly renewed by cloning. Hydras do not live forever in natural conditions due to threats from predators and disease, but without these external threats they can be immortal.
Source: LiveScience