Glass sponges grow in many shapes and sizes in the deep ocean. They survive by pumping water through their porous bodies to extract very small food particles and dissolved substances. Sponges are firmly attached to the sea floor (with a few exceptions) for their entire adult lives. Glass sponges in the class Hexactinellida are animals commonly found in the deep ocean. Recovering from fishing pressure is another thing rockfish do slowly. Unfortunately, this also makes them highly vulnerable to overfishing. Rockfish are slow-growing, late-maturing and long-lived. They are found near the seafloor around caves and crevices. Rougheye rockfish typically live at depths between 500 and 1,500 feet. The rougheye rockfish are among the longest-living fish and have a maximum lifespan of at least 205 years, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Their habitat is in coastal waters from California to Japan. Bowhead whales are among the heaviest animals on Earth with their weight between 75-100 tons. The bowhead is the fifth largest whale in the ocean, reaching up to 60 feet in length. Bowhead whales live in the chilly Arctic and subarctic waters year-round. Its unique ability to revert to this younger polyp form after reaching its fully grown state, thereby starting its life cycle anew, is what earns this jellyfish the title “immortal.”īowhead whales can live more than 200 years–making them one of the longest-living mammals on Earth. Like other cnidarians, it has two forms: medusa (think classic jellyfish with bell-shaped body and multiple tentacles) and hydroid or polyp (the baby form, growing in a colony with other polyps on the ocean floor). The immortal jellyfish is a species of jellyfish no bigger than a half centimeter that lives in seas across the world. The result is a colony of polyps that actually act as one organism. Coral reefs are made up of tiny organisms called polyps. Other animals in this group include jellyfish and sea anemones. Coral polyps are invertebrates belonging to a group of animals called Cnidaria. However, in March 2009 a deep-water species of black coral was discovered, and scientists estimate it was around 4,265 years old. The estimated lifespan of a black coral colony is 70 years. Ming was born in 1499 and died in 2006-that age was calculated by counting annual growth lines in the shell. Ming the clam was dredged off the coast of Iceland in 2006. At 507 years of age, Ming the clam broke the Guinness World Record as the oldest animal in the world. The ocean quahog is a species of edible clam, a marine bivalve mollusk. Ocean quahogs live in the Atlantic and can live more than 400 years old. Ocean quahogs are among the longest-living marine organisms in the world. Greenland sharks recently broke a record: Scientists discovered a 400-year-old female Greenland shark that set a new record for the oldest living vertebrate. Living in the cold Atlantic waters of Greenland, Iceland and the Arctic, Greenland sharks are often described as dinosaurs on Earth. Without further delay, meet these seven ocean animals that have had more birthdays than almost every other creature on Earth. Thanks for signing up for Ocean Conservancy emails. Metabolic rate is thought to be inversely proportional to maximum lifespan, which means that species that live fast will die young while those that have a slower metabolic rate live slower and longer. The frigid waters of the Arctic make it possible for Greenland sharks to survive for centuries. And animals that live in frigid, cold habitats also tend to have a slower metabolism. Bigger animals tend to have a slower metabolism. The oldest living human lived to be only 122 years old (cue the Greenland shark laughing!).īut how do these long-living animals have a lifespan that is many centuries old? Scientists think it has to do with the animals’ metabolism, with size and habitat as contributing factors. Whether or not you believe those theories, one thing is for certain: Humans have some serious catching up to do compared with other animal lifespans. What is the secret to living a long life? Often centenarians will share their secrets, including eating oatmeal each day, staying single, exercising or having a positive outlook on life.
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