If you've ever watched that movie called “Finding Nemo”, you might remember a scene where the sea turtle (Crush) says he's 150 years old. But, did you know that some animals can even exceed that age? Some animals are practically immortal for so long that they live and today we separate a list to answer which animals live the longest in the wild. Check out the full article and stay inside!
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Animals with longer life expectancy
When you think of animals that live a long time, whales and turtles come to mind, right? Did you know that, in fact, there are several other animals with extremely high life expectancy and the vast majority live at the bottom of the sea? They spend even the average lifespan of those animals you thought. See what they are:
- bowhead whales
Bowhead whales are well known for their longevity. These animals can live for over 200 years! There are records of a female captured off the coast of Alaska estimated to be between 115 and 130 years old, but scientists have discovered a specimen that is approximately 211 years old!
- rougheye wrasse
The rougheye rockfish (Sebastes aleutianus), which is also known as the rougheye rockfish, is one of the longest-lived fish. Such an animal can simply live for 205 years. The wrasse lives in the Pacific Ocean, grows up to 97 centimeters in length and eats animals such as smaller fish and shrimp.
- tube worm
Tube worms have a low mortality rate because, lucky for them, they have few natural threats. There are almost no predators for these animals, in addition, their body consists of secretions that serve as protection. Consequently, they live peacefully for up to 300 years, as is the case with Escarpia laminata, a species that inhabits the ocean floor in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Sponge
Now you'll understand why SpongeBob doesn't age as the episodes go by: Sponges are made up of colonies of animals and can live for thousands of years. A study published in the journal Chemical Geology in 2012 pointed to a sponge of the Monorhaphis chuni species that is approximately 11,000 years old.
- Jellyfish
We've seen animals that live a long time, but what if we say that there are almost immortal animals? This is the case of Turritopsis dohrnii, a species of jellyfish capable of making its tissues rejuvenate, and, consequently, making life stages regress. Usually these jellyfish only die when they are eaten by predators.
- Hydra
Hydra is a species of animal with a cylindrical body, in the form of a polyp. It lives in fresh water, preferably in clean, cold water. Like Turritopsis dohrnii, it also has the potential to live forever, as it shows no signs of deterioration with age, and its cells regenerate frequently.
- quahog
The Ocean Quahog, or Arctica islandica, lives in the Atlantic Ocean. According to the National Museum of Wales, in 2006 an ocean quahog was found off the coast of Iceland and the animal was 507 years old. He was nicknamed Ming, as he was born in 1499, the period in which the Ming Dynasty ruled China (from 1368 to 1644).
- river mussel
Who would have thought that a mussel is one of the longest-living animals in the world?! Know that the oldest river mussel (Margaritifera) was 280 years old. This animal is a bivalve that filters food particles from the water. It inhabits fresh waters and can be found in Europe and North America.
- giant clam
The giant clam is used as food in several Asian countries, mainly in Japan and some countries in Southeast Asia, in addition to the Pacific Islands. It is one of the molluscs with the longest lifespan, reaching 160 years.
- red sea urchin
The species Strongylocentrotus franciscanus, or red sea urchin, measures about 20 cm in diameter and has spines of up to 8 cm. It's the biggest sea urchin there is! It feeds on algae and can be quite voracious. In addition to standing out for its size, it also draws attention for living a long time, reaching 200 years.
- Greenland sharks
Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) inhabit the depths of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. A 2016 study estimated that these sharks can live at least 272 years. Furthermore, researchers have even suggested that these animals could be up to 512 years old!