[Animals] They discover that the coelacanth, a giant prehistoric fish, can live more than 100 years

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With more than a century of lifespan, the coelacanth is in no hurry to live. Rather, they grow, eat, reproduce, and swim slowly.
It has been described as a "living fossil". Among the sea currents of Africa, near the coast of Madagascar, this is the oldest fish recorded in the world's oceans. With an impressive ability to modify its genetics almost nothing over the millennia, the coelacanth has proven to be a survivor of the last mass extinction. Today we know that, in addition to everything, it is a very long-lived animal.

Coelacanth: an ancient marine species
Not even the most fearsome dinosaurs could withstand the radical changes that the Earth underwent after the asteroid impact.

After that, most of the prehistoric biological diversity disappeared, leaving the ecosystems of the available species in a precarious condition. Despite the obstacles that this climatic impact represented at a planetary level, the coelacanth continued its evolutionary path —almost unchanged.

How long do coelacanths live?
A recent study revealed that, in addition to being incredibly adaptable to changes in the environment, the coelacanth is one of the longest-living fish on record. Originally, it was believed that he could live up to 20 years. However, the figure multiplied by five.

This new estimate was made in France, based on the scales of these animals. Like the rings on tree trunks, it seems that this coating is the key to finding out how long a specific specimen has lived. It turned out that some of the specimens found were over 100 years old. Not only that: females could carry pregnancies for up to 5 years.

With more than a century of life, the coelacanth is in no hurry to live. On the contrary, in addition to the fact that females can carry very long gestation processes, there is a record that this species does not reproduce until it is 50 years old. They grow at incredibly slow rates, making hatchlings particularly vulnerable to industrial fishing.

Knowing more about their ways of life and behavior patterns, according to the main author of the study, Dr. Bruno Ernande from the University of Montpellier, will be able to provide guidelines to ensure their conservation.

The fact that they are particularly scarce increases the pressure to prevent them from becoming extinct. Changes in the seas driven by the climate crisis and overfishing are some of the obstacles that this species is currently facing.

https://www.ngenespanol.com/animales/celacanto-pez-prehistorico-gigante-puede-vivir-mas-de-100-anos/