You are not going to believe the ages of the animals on this list. Isn’t it hard to fathom that other creatures have been roaming the planet long before we were even born? Not only that, but they have been here longer than our own parents and our own grandparents have. There are several reasons they have grown up to be this old. Some of them have flourished without any human intervention, but others have benefited from the assistance of mankind. Are you ready to be spellbound by these very old creatures?
These Animals Have Been On This Planet Even Before Your Grandparents Were Born
Atlantic Halibut – Up To 90 Years
Check out this fish! Unless you do not eat fish, you have probably eaten a halibut in the past. Well, you are looking at the biggest species of it. This animal is known for its wacky appearance courtesy of their bugging eyes at the side of the head. It is pretty funny to see them lying flat on the floor when they seek out pretty. They can live as long as 50 years, but some say that the oldest ones might be 90 years old!
Atlantic Halibut – Up To 90 Years
Humpback Whale – Up To 95 Years
We can see why this is the most popular whale species on the planet. The humpback whale is present in all the oceans, so you might see one if you happen to be in their feeding or breeding grounds. This great creature is known for its lovely songs. The curious creature is friendly and is not skittish. The average live span of the humpback whale is said to be around 50 years, but some say it can go as high as 95!
Humpback Whale – Up To 95 Years
American Lobster – Up To 100 Years
You might be used to seeing this sea animal on your plate, but did you know that they can live for a very long time? Of course, this only works when they are not caught by humans or eaten by other animals. The American lobster tends to live in the cold waters of the Atlantic. The low temperature slows down its metabolism, so it ages and grows slowly but surely. This explains why it can reach up to 100 years. It is even said that they might be immortal. It is hard to determine their age since they molt constantly.
American Lobster – Up To 100 Years
Olm Salamander – Up To 100+ Years
The olm is a type of salamander that is living proof of how bizarre nature is. Unlike other members of its family, this amphibian lives underwater. On top of that, it is completely blind and resides in the caves of the Slovenian, Croatian, and Bosnian & Herzegovinian coasts. Locals even call them ‘the human fish’ since their skin color looks just like that of a pale human. When it was first discovered, it was thought to be a baby dragon. This is cool enough on its own, but it can also live longer than a hundred years.
Olm Salamander – Up To 100+ Years
White Sturgeon – Up To 104 Years
It is true: there are indeed a lot of weird fish in the world. The sturgeon family is known for its caviar and long life. They hail from the West coast of Canada and the United States. The White sturgeon nearly went extinct at the start of the 20th century thanks to overfishing. Luckily, they managed to make a comeback after hunting was monitored more strictly. The oldest white sturgeon is history lived on to be 104 years old!
White Sturgeon – Up To 104 Years
Blue Whale – Up To 110 years
Considering how many superlatives it has to its name, you must be familiar with the blue whale. It is said to be the biggest creature to have ever existed. It is awesome to see that they get that big just by filtering krill. You might know that they live long, but did you know that they often live into their ‘80s and ‘90s? In fact, one of them was said to have been 110 years old. Whoa.
Blue Whale – Up To 110 Years
Tuatara – Up To 111 Years
There is no need to adjust the screen. We know that he looks like a toy or something from a movie, but he is real. This is the tuatara of New Zealand. Doesn’t it look like a fun-sized dinosaur? They grow up to three feet long and are one of the oldest animals in the world. These animals no longer grow once they reach their thirties, but they tend to reach anywhere from 70 to 90 years old. There was even a little guy by the name of Henry. He lived in a museum in New Zealand and became a dad at 111 years old.
Tuatara – Up To 111 Years
Sablefish – Up To 114 Years
It is possible that you recognize this fish under a different name: black cod. It is a North Pacific bottom dweller. Fishermen often have to compete for them with sperm whales and killer whales! We bet that you have never wondered how old the fish is when it is on your plate. You might start doing that once you learn that the sablefish has been known to grow as old as 114 years.
Sablefish – Up To 114 Years
Beluga Sturgeon – Up To 118 Years
With its gorgeous black eggs, the beluga sturgeon adds more elegance to the world. Its caviar might set you back by as much as $4,500 per pound! The fish itself is huge and can grow as long as 20 feet and even more than 2,000 pounds in weight. It is quite tragic to think that this fish is critically endangered since people hunt it for eggs and meat. In the wild, it can live up to its fifties. However, there are times when it has lived up to around 118 years! How impressive is that?
Beluga Sturgeon – Up To 118 Years
European Pond Turtle – Up To 120 Years
The European pond turtle exists in Europe and the Middle East. Isn’t it cute? However, you need to know that it can live for much longer than we can. Who would have thought that this tiny fellow can live past the hundred-year mark? It is widely distributed, although it is no longer super common. This has to do with human interference and climate change. Even though it does not happen very often, there have been records of a particular turtle in Southern France that has celebrated its 120-year-old birthday.
European Pond Turtle – Up To 120 Years
Spur-Thighed Tortoise – Up To 127 Years
There is a good chance that you have previously encountered a tortoise without realizing it. These tiny and friendly creatures are popular pets. You might be interested in getting once since they tend to live for a very long period of time. There is almost a hundred percent chance that they will outlive you! It is possible to turn this animal into an heirloom of sorts. After all, it can grow as old as 127 years.
Spur-Thighed Tortoise – Up To 127 Years
Fin Whale – Up To 135 To 140 Years
Fair enough, the fin whale is not as flashy as the killer whale or as sociable as the humpback whale. However, it is second only to the blue whale when it comes to size! These huge mammals are peaceful giants who lead very long lives. They are believed to have a lifespan of 94 years. However, there studies that claim how a particular fin whale lived even longer than that! This creature was thought to be aged 135 to 140 years old.
Fin Whale – Up To 135 To 140 Years
Eastern Box Turtle – Up To 138 Years
Are you from the eastern United States? If so, you might have seen these creatures in the woods or the park in the past. The Eastern box turtle is actually the state reptile of Tennessee and North Carolina. But you might not know that one of them might have even met your nana! Its name comes from its ability to guard itself by hiding in the shell and closing it like a box. It tends to do better in captivity, where it can grow to be over a century old. There is evidence that suggests it can grow to be 138 years old.
Eastern Box Turtle – Up To 138 Years
Lake Sturgeon – Up To 150 Years
You can consider this the North American version of the beluga. You will find the lake sturgeon anywhere from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River! Sadly, it was nearly fished into extinction around a century ago. It is considered threatened or endangered in 19 out of 20 states. It fares better when it is left alone. Female ones can live up to 150 years, while males only have a lifespan of 55 years.
Lake Sturgeon – Up To 150 Years
European Eel – Up To 155 Years
Whoa, check out the European eel in this photo. It wants nothing more than to give you a slimy hug! Even though it looks stunning, this animal has also been blessed with incredible longevity. We doubt that you ever assumed that an eel would be very old. However, these creatures actually tend to grow older than 80 years when in captivity. A Sweden family said that its eel was 155 years old when it died.
European Eel – Up To 155 Years
Galápagos Tortoise – Up To 170+ Years
In the 16th century, Spanish explorers discovered the Galapagos Islands. It was named after the discovery of a quarter of a million tortoises living there. Forty years ago, there were only 3,000 survivors thanks to centuries of habitat damage and hunting. Luckily, conservationists have since increased the number to over 19,000 specimens. This tortoise is not only the biggest of its kind, but it is also one of the oldest creatures on the planet thanks to its longevity of more than 170 years.
Galápagos Tortoise – Up To 170+ Years
Red Sea Urchin – Up To 200+ Years
It is not exactly scary to look at this creature. However, you should do your best to avoid touching it when you are at the beach. Trust us, you do not want to make that mistake unless you want to suffer! Who would have thought that it was hiding a secret underneath its spines? The truth is that the red sear urchin has the ability to outlive all of us. After all, it is capable of growing even older than 200 years.
Red Sea Urchin – Up To 200+ Years
Rougheye Rockfish – Up To 205 Years
In all fairness to the rockfish, it has been blessed with amazing genes. This explains why it can live even longer than a century. They mostly reside in the deep waters of the North Pacific. They only start having children by the time that they are 25 years old. The mothers get better with age since the robustness of the offspring improves as she grows older. Sadly, overfishing tends to wreck rockfish populations. The good news is that they can survive up to 205 years when they are left alone.
Rougheye Rockfish – Up To 205 Years
Bowhead Whale – Up To 211 Years
The bowhead whale lives in the Arctic Ocean and boasts a huge mouth. It is actually known as the creature with the biggest mouth, which takes up a third of its body. The truth is that estimates of old animals are normally based on a single specimen, but the bowhead whale has shown us that it is capable of outliving us many times in the past. One bowhead whale was believed to be 211 years old, but the average is anywhere from 135 to 172 years old.
Bowhead Whale – Up To 211 Years
Koi – Up To 226 Years
We doubt that you pay a lot of attention to koi fish. They are thought to be nothing but ornamental, but the truth is that the average koi lives for three decades. However, some of them have lived long past that! Allow us to tell you about a koi named Hanako. She was said to be 226 years old when she died.
Koi – Up To 226 Years
Orange Roughy – Up To 250 Years
When you are craving seafood, you should think twice before you chew on the orange roughy. It takes a long time before it matures and grows rather slowly. Commercial fishing of this species can wreak havoc on its population. Scientists have discovered that they can determine the age of the fish by counting its ear bone growth rings. This was how they found out that the fish tends to live for more than 120 years. However, the oldest one happens to be from Tasmania and lived to be 250 years old.
Orange Roughy – Up To 250 Years
Aldabra Tortoise – Up To 255 Years
The Aldabra tortoises have certain similarities with the Galápagos tortoises. The truth is that this animal lives longer than its famous South American cousin. The Aldabra tortoise is very rare and only lives on an island chain in the territory of Seychelles. There is only one known to exist today. It is amazing to think that Jonathan is now 187 years old. However, the record goes to Adwaita from the Kolkota Zoo, who passed away at the age of 255 in 2006.
Aldabra Tortoise – Up To 255 Years
Greenland Shark – (Possibly) Up To 392 Years
In the past, reindeer, polar bear, and moose remains have been found in the stomach of the Greenland Shark. This is one of the largest shark species in existence at 20 feet. The flesh is very toxic that you will get ill and blind drunk after eating it. This animal is the longest-living vertebrate on the planet. In 2016, one specimen was discovered to be 329 years old, although the margin of error is pretty big at 120 years. Even so, 272 years old is still very impressive!
Greenland Shark – (Possibly) Up To 392 Years
Ocean Quahog Clam – Up To 507 Years
You probably expected to find something bigger and more interesting than a clam on this list. However, you should not underestimate the ocean quahog clam! Found in the waters of the North Atlantic, it is often harvested for food. There is a particular clam called Ming that dwarfs the rest of the species when it comes to longevity. Found off the coast of Iceland, it was said to be 507 years old! The name comes from the Chinese dynasty. It is amazing to think that this creature has been around since then.
Ocean Quahog Clam – Up To 507 Years
Sponges – Up To 10,000 Years
The aquatic sponge clock is one of the oldest creatures on the planet. They tend to break records no matter where in the world you are. Antarctic sponges are thought to live for 1,550 years or so. On the other hand, those in the Caribbean are older than 2,300 years old. There are some glass sponge species that are thought to be 10,000 years old. Whoa. It is amazing to think that they are actually that old!
Sponges – Up To 10,000 Years
Hydra – Immortal
We have to admit that we feel a bit envious of the Hydra. After all, this minuscule organism lives forever without showing signs of deterioration or aging. It only dies when it has a disease or gets eaten by a predator. A study even said that “an individual hydra can live forever under the right circumstances.” They have way too much power for such a tiny animal! This invertebrate is known for its cylindrical body and small tentacles from one end of the body. It only grows to be 10 millimeters or 0.4 inches long.
Hydra – Immortal
The Immortal Jellyfish – Forever
How do you feel about the prospect of living forever? Well, you might want to switch places with the immortal jellyfish. Its scientific name is the Turritopsis dohrnii. This is easily one of the most intriguing animals in history. Did you know that it ages in reverse? They grow from a polyp into an adult jellyfish, only to revert back to an infant! Yes, it is pretty much a marine version of Benjamin Button.
The Immortal Jellyfish – Forever!