Researchers Surprised to Find Mysterious Dinosaur Age Monster Fish Could Live for 100 Years

Analysis of rare creatures is always brimming with potential to bring forth new insights. For a long time, experts had certain set beliefs in mind about Coelacanths (fish), according to Live Science. However, many of these changed in 2021 when more specimens came into play. Findings regarding these new insights were explained in detail within a study published in Current Biology.

Researchers for a long time believed Lobe-finned coelacanths had gone extinct due to an asteroid impact that also killed dinosaurs. The assertion changed when a live specimen was caught in 1938, off the coast of South Africa. Not much could be uncovered about them as they are very hard to come by.

In the past, researchers thought that coelacanths grew fast, reaching their maximum size by the age of 20 years. However, examinations conducted by a team associated with the study indicate that not only is the pace of growth not accelerated, but these monster fishes could also possibly be centenarians. 

All the previous assertions were made based on the examinations of twelve coelacanth specimens. The results indicated that these creatures could just live for around two decades. Their average size and weight were determined to be 6.5 feet (2 meters) and  231 pounds (105 kilograms), respectively. This implies that the creatures reached this huge size in just 20 years, making them one of the fastest-growing marine beings in the world.

Researchers were stunned because they got two contrasting findings in these examinations. The results showcased that the fish had low metabolism and low fecundity, which typically do not support fast growth rates. The examinations conducted on another set of African coelacanths (Latimeria chalumnae) specimens from Comoros, a group of islands roughly between Mozambique and Madagascar, shed light on the reality of these contrasting findings. 

For the study, researchers increased the sample size from 12 to 27, according to Science Alert. Analysis concluded that their ages were varied, with the oldest being 84 years old. Considering that one of the samples survived for eight decades, it is not a stretch to believe that the species does have the ability to be a centurion. The assertion was backed by the growth patterns observed in the samples. 

The ages were confirmed through minuscule calcified structures called circuli on the scales of the coelacanths. In the past, this calcified material had not been spotted by experts. Several techniques indicated to the team that the number of circuli matched the creature's age. The team also discovered that the creatures took their time to grow and did not reach their maximum size in two decades. This challenges the previous belief that the creatures exhibited fast-paced growth, and suggests that they indeed were slow growers.

Further tests showcased that the creatures reached sexual maturity around 55 years of age, stated Live Science. Based on the two embryos in the sample size, it was concluded that offspring gestation took around five years. This made the species one of the longest-gestating vertebrates worldwide. 

The study's findings indicate that these creatures indeed follow the evolutionary tree and its principles, stated Science Alert. For decades, coelacanths have been labelled 'living fossils' with the assumption that it is distinct from all other living creatures. The examinations, though, share a different picture, implying that their features do follow the precedent set by other creatures in the ecosystem. Another examination concluded that coelacanths also borrow genes from other underwater species.