The animal kingdom boasts some incredibly long lifespans, far more than the average human being. While humans may have an "absolute limit" of 150 years, it's only a blink of an eye compared to the thousands of years that some animals have experienced, and some animals can even stop or reverse the aging process altogether.
While there are also very long-lived animals on land (the giant turtle Jonathan mentioned in the previous article lived nearly 190 years), it didn't make it to this list either — the real longevity champions live in the water. From the oldest to the oldest, there are 10 of the longest-surviving animals in the world today
Bowhead Whale: Probably in their 200s
The bowhead whale (Baraena Mystery Whale) is the longest-surviving mammal. The exact lifespan of Arctic and sub-arctic whales is unclear, but according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the stone harpoon tips found in some harvested individuals can prove that they lived comfortably for more than 100 years, and possibly lived for more than 200 years.
Whales have mutations in a gene called ERCC1, which is linked to repairing damaged DNA and may help protect whales from cancer, which is a potential cause of death. In addition, another gene, called PCNA, has a part that has been replicated. According to the journal Life Science, this gene is associated with cell growth and repair, and this replication can delay aging.
2. Coarse-eyed rockfish: over 200 years old
According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the rough-eyed rockfish is one of the longest living fish, with a maximum lifespan of at least 205 years. These pink or brown fish live in the Pacific Ocean from California to Japan. According to the State of Endangered Wildlife Canada (COSEWIC), they grow to 38 inches (97 cm) and eat other animals such as shrimp and small fish.
3. Freshwater pearl oysters: over 250 years old
Freshwater pearl oysters (Margaret Ferra Margaret Tilapira) are bivalve animals that filter food particles from water. They live mainly in rivers and streams and can be found in Europe and North America, including the United States and Canada. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the oldest known freshwater pearl oyster is 280 years old. Due to their low metabolism, these invertebrates have a long lifespan.
Freshwater pearl oysters are an endangered species. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), their populations are decreasing due to various human-related factors, including the destruction and change of the river habitats on which they depend.
4. Greenland Sharks: Over 272 years old
Greenland sharks (Somnios microcephaly) live deep in the Arctic and North Atlantic. According to the St. Lawrence Shark Observatory in Canada, they can grow up to 24 feet (7.3 meters) long, and their diet includes a variety of other animals, including marine mammals such as fish and seals.
A 2016 Greenland shark eye tissue study published in the journal Science estimated that the maximum lifespan of these sharks was at least 272 years. According to the journal Life Science, the largest shark in the study is estimated to be around 392 years old, and the researchers believe the shark's age may be as high as 512 years old. Age estimates carry a degree of uncertainty, but even the lowest estimate of 272 years still makes these sharks the longest-surviving vertebrates on Earth.
5. Tube worms: over 300 years old
Tubeworms are invertebrates with long lifespans in the cold, stable environments of the deep sea. A 2017 study published in the journal Natural Science found that Escalpia Raminata, a tube worm that lives on the ocean floor of the Gulf of Mexico, usually survives for up to 200 years, with some specimens surviving more than 300 years. Tubeworms have a low mortality rate and few natural threats, such as a lack of carnivores, which helped them evolve to such a long lifespan.
6. Marine clams: 500 years old and above
Marine clams (Arctic islands) that live in the North Atlantic. This saltwater species lives even longer than the other bivalve animals on this list, freshwater pearl oysters. According to the National Museum of Wales, a 507-year-old marine clam discovered off the coast of Iceland in 2006. The ancient clam is nicknamed the Ming because it was born in 1499, when the Ming Dynasty ruled China (from 1368 to 1644).
7. Black coral: over 4000 years old
Corals look like colorful underwater rocks and plants, but they actually consist of exoskeletons of invertebrates called polyps. These polyps are constantly multiplying and replacing themselves by creating copies of the same genes, which over time causes the coral exoskeleton structure to become larger and larger. As a result, corals are made up of multiple identical organisms rather than a single organism, such as a Greenland shark or a marine clam, so coral lifespan is more like a team effort.
Corals can survive for hundreds of years or more, but deep-water black corals (Leopatz) are among the longest-surviving corals. According to living science magazine, black coral specimens found off the coast of Hawaii are 4265 years old.
8. Glass sponge: 10,000 years old or more
Sponges are made up of fauna, similar to corals, and can also survive for thousands of years. Glass sponges are among the longest surviving sponges on Earth. According to the National Oceanic and Oceanic Administration, members of this group are often found in the deep sea, and the bones are similar to glass, hence their name. A 2012 study published in the journal Chemical Geology estimated that glass sponges belonging to the Monojafischshuni species are about 11,000 years old. Other sponge species may live longer.
9. Turitopsis · Dorny: Potential immortality
Dorny is known as the Immortal Jellyfish because they may live forever. Jellyfish begin to live as larvae, then build themselves on the ocean floor and transform into polyps. These polyps then produce free-swimming Medusa, or jellyfish. According to the American Museum of Natural History, the mature Turitopsis dohrnii are special, and if they are physically damaged or starving, they can turn into polyps and then return to jellyfish status.
According to the Natural History Museum in London, this jellyfish native to the Mediterranean can repeat this life-changing feat many times, so under the right conditions it may never die of old age. Durney is tiny — less than 0.2 inches (4.5 millimeters) wide — eaten by other animals, such as fish or possibly dying in other ways, thus preventing them from truly achieving immortality.
10. Hydra: May also be immortal
Hydra is a group of small invertebrates with a soft body that looks a bit like a jellyfish. Like Turitopsis Dorney, Hyderas has the potential for immortality. According to a previous report by Life Science, Hyderas shows no signs of deteriorating with age. These invertebrates are mainly made up of stem cells, which are constantly regenerated by replication or cloning. Hyderas would not live forever in natural conditions because of threats such as predators and disease, but without these external threats, they could be immortal.