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The Longest-Living Animals on Earth
A clam that was 507 years old, a shark that may live 400 years and a jellyfish that can turn young again. Meet the longest-living animals on Earth.
A human life of 80 years seems long, until you meet these animals. Some live for centuries. Some may live for thousands of years. One can, in theory, start its life over again. Here are the longest-living animals on Earth, from the record breakers to some surprising runners-up.
Glass sponges
The oldest animals of all may be sponges. Some deep-sea glass sponges grow so slowly that scientists estimate they are many thousands of years old. Ages are hard to measure exactly, but no other animal comes close.
Immortal jellyfish
A tiny jellyfish, Turritopsis dohrnii, can turn itself back into a young polyp when it’s injured or stressed, then grow up all over again. In the lab, it can repeat this, which is why it’s nicknamed “immortal”. In the wild, most still get eaten or get sick.
Ocean quahog
A clam from the North Atlantic called “Ming” was found to be 507 years old when it was collected in 2006, the oldest individual animal ever aged precisely. It hatched around 1499.
Greenland shark
The longest-living animal with a backbone. A 2016 study estimated that Greenland sharks can live at least 272 years and possibly about 400. They grow about a centimetre a year and don’t breed until they’re around 150.
Bowhead whale
The longest-living mammal. Some bowhead whales have been found with old stone harpoon tips in their bodies, and studies of their eyes suggest they can live over 200 years.
Strange but trueSome Greenland sharks swimming today were probably born before the United States existed.
Rougheye rockfish
A Pacific fish that can live more than 200 years, one of the longest lifespans of any fish.
Giant tortoise
Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise on the island of St Helena, is thought to have hatched around 1832. That makes him the oldest known living land animal, well over 190 years old.
Tuatara
A reptile from New Zealand that looks like a lizard but belongs to an ancient group of its own. Tuatara grow very slowly and are thought to live over 100 years.
Olm
This blind cave salamander from Europe is estimated to live 100 years or more, extraordinary for an animal of its size. The olm saves energy so well that it can survive years without food.
Coelacanth
A 2021 study of growth rings in its scales suggests the coelacanth can live about 100 years. It doesn’t mature until around 55, and its pregnancy may last five years.
Lake sturgeon
A North American fish that looks prehistoric and can live over 150 years.
Naked mole-rat
A rodent that lives over 30 years, about ten times longer than a mouse of the same size. The naked mole-rat also almost never gets cancer.
The secret to a long life seems to be: live somewhere cold, move slowly and don’t rush into anything.
What do long-lived animals have in common?
- Cold water or a slow lifestyle: a slow metabolism means slow ageing.
- Late maturity: many don’t breed for decades.
- Few predators: animals that rarely get eaten can afford to age slowly.
- Good repair: some, like the naked mole-rat, are unusually good at fixing damage to their cells.
Read more about the olm and the axolotl and our Extreme Survivors collection.
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