Top 8 Long-lived Animals
When we think of the most long-lived animals, the first thing that comes to mind is turtle or elephant. However, there are other species that live even longer. In the following article we will tell you who can blow out the most candles on their birthday cake.
The longest lived animals in the world
Different animal species have a very high life expectancy, which is sometimes astonishing for us. Here you will find a selection that will surely interest you.
1. The immortal jellyfish
According to scientists, this species, called Turritopsis Dohrnii, has the ability to rejuvenate in an endless cycle. When it reaches a certain age it changes into a younger specimen through a process and can therefore live indefinitely. That’s why they say that she never dies.
2. The Antarctic Sponge
Its scientific name is Clathrina Broendstedi in honor of a Danish researcher named Holger Brondsted who studied this giant sponge in the Weddell Sea in Antarctica. It is an immobile creature that survives in the lowest temperatures on the planet, deep in the ocean. The oldest specimens that could be observed are around 1500 years old. It has a very slow growth rate.
As you can see, this sponge should not be missing in the list of the longest living animals!
3. The Galapagos giant tortoise
Turtles are known to be very long-lived animals. The Galapagos giant tortoise amazes not only because of its size, but also because of its long life expectancy. It will be around 250 years old.
4. Riftia pachyptila (tube worm)
Can you imagine a giant worm that can live 250 years? It’s not a nightmare. The good news is that it lives at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean near black fumaroles at over 2,000 feet below ground. So we cannot meet him!
It has adapted perfectly to its living space and can live without sunlight. It is red because of blood hemoglobins. Scientists assume that this animal species emerged from the symbiosis between an invertebrate and a marine bacterium.
5. The bowhead whale
The bowhead whale is a large marine mammal that can grow up to 18 meters long and weigh 100 tons. It lives in arctic and subarctic waters and does not migrate very far to feed or reproduce. This whale is black or dark gray and has a layer of fat up to 70 cm thick in order to survive in the cold. Some specimens of the bowhead whale are around 200 years old.
6. The red sea urchin
Its scientific name is rather complicated, but you don’t need to remember it: Strongylocentrotus franciscanus. It is commonly known as the “red sea urchin” because of its color (which can also be pink, orange, or purple). This animal is native to the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Baja California. The sea urchin lives at a depth of around 100 meters. He loves rocky areas, because between the stones he can protect himself from waves and finds a lot of algae.
Its body is covered with spines up to 8 cm long, it has no visible eyes, its mouth has 5 teeth. Although life expectancy is typically 30 years, several specimens have been found that were over 200 years old.
7. The Koi fish
You are probably familiar with this large fish, which is typical of Asian ponds and has a long tail in the shape of a “veil” and striking colors. Although originally from China, it came to be known as the Japanese carp. It is a breed that originally came from the Aral Sea and the Caspian Sea.
The koi is synonymous with luck and first appeared in the Qing Dynasty (China) and the Yayoi Era (Japan). It is a very resilient species of fish that has a life expectancy of over 200 years. The oldest copy was called Hanko and died at the age of 226.
8. Tuatara (bridge lizard)
The last of the longest-lived animals on this list belongs to the group of endemic reptiles and lives on a small group of islands near New Zealand. Her name means “spine back” in the Maori language. This lizard is very similar to that of the iguana. It can be 70 cm long.
The lizard feeds on insects, eggs, young birds, snails and lizards. As a cold-blooded animal, it has to sunbathe for several hours. It can live up to 200 years and should therefore not be missing from this list.
Image source: Anu Prieto, Ansgar Walk and Taollan82
