Red sea urchin
The red sea urchin or Strongylocentrotus franciscanus is
found only in the Pacific Ocean, primarily
along the West Coast of North America. It lives in shallow, sometimes rocky,
waters from the low-tide line down to to 90 meters, but they stay out of
extremely wavy areas. They crawl along the ocean floor using their spines as
stilts. If you discover one, remember to respect your elders - some specimens
are more than 200 years old.
Tortoises are considered the longest living vertebrates on
Earth. One of their oldest known representatives was Harriet, a Galápagos tortoise
that died of heart failure at the age of 175 years in June 2006 at a zoo owned
by the late Steve Irwin. Harriet was considered the last living representative
of Darwin’s
epic voyage on the HMS Beagle. An Aldabra giant tortoise named Adwaita died at
the rumored age of 250 in March 2006.
Geoducks
First on the list are these large saltwater clams that are
native to the Puget Sound and have been known
to live for at least 160 years. They are characterized by their long ‘necks’,
or siphons, which can grow to over 1 meter long.
Tuataras
The word “dinosaur” is commonly used to describe an old
person, but when it refers to a tuataras, the term is as literal as it is
metaphorical. The two species of tuatara alive today are the only surviving
members of an order which flourished about 200 million years ago - they are
living dinosaurs. They are also among the longest-lived vertebrates on Earth,
with some individuals living for anywhere between 100 and 200 years.
Lamellibrachia tube worms
These colorful deep sea creatures are tube worms (L.
luymesi) that live along hydrocarbon vents on the ocean floor. They have been
known to live 170 years, but many scientists believe there may be some that
have lived for more than 250 years.
Bowhead whales
Also known as the Arctic whale, the bowhead is by far the
longest living mammal on Earth. Some bowhead whales have been found with the
tips of ivory spears still lodged in their flesh from failed attempts by
whalers 200 years ago. The oldest known bowhead whale was at least 211 years
old.
Koi
Koi are an ornamental, domesticated variety of the common
carp. The are common in artificial rock pools and decorative ponds. Amazingly,
some varieties are capable of living more than 200 years. The oldest known koi
was Hanako, a fish that died at the age of 226 on July 7, 1977.
Ocean quahog
The ocean quahog (Arctica islandica) is a species of clam
that is exploited commercially. Researchers have interpreted the dark concentric
rings or bands on the shell as annual marks, much like a tree has rings. Some
collected specimens have been calculated to be more than 400 years old
Antarctic sponge
Perhaps due to the extremely low temperatures of the Antarctic Ocean, this immobile creature has an extremely
slow growth rate. Some estimate the oldest known specimens are 1,550 years old.
Turritopsis Nutricula Jellyfish
This species of jellyfish might be the only animal in the
world to have truly discovered the fountain of youth. Since it is capable of
cycling from a mature adult stage to an immature polyp stage and back again,
there may be no natural limit to its life span. Because they are able to bypass
death, the number of individuals is spiking. ”We are looking at a worldwide
silent invasion,”says Dr. Maria Miglietta of the Smithsonian Tropical Marine
Institute.
Source : http://www.funzug.com
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