I remember reading some years ago about Greenland sharks and how they can live to be anywhere from 250 and 500 years old. And if you ever asked me, my guess would be that they are the longest living animal species.
However, today I learnt the record belongs to another animal. Well, technically it's an animal, although not what most of us would consider to be a "real" animal.
Meet Anoxycalyx joubini, aka the giant volcano sponge, a species of Antarctic sponge that according to current estimates can live to be up 15,000 years old!
Other than it's remarkable lifespan, it's also one of the largest sponges in the world, growing up to 1.5 meters in diameter and 1.95 meters in height!
The species occurs in Antarctic waters, in depths ranging from 100 to 2,000 meters and as its common name suggests it resembles a volcano, with a wide base and a narrow, conical top.
Due to the cold and high pressure waters it inhabits, it has adapted to have a super slow growth rate which is probably a contributing factor to their incredible longevity. Reportedly, one caught specimen did not show any growth in a span of 10 years!
Ok, this concludes the quick run down of this remarkable record holding creature! Here's a link to Wikipedia if you'd like to read more on it :)
I'll a tag for @enginewitty before wrapping up this post as I think this is something he'd love to check out :D
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