
Animals with the longest lifespan include African Elephant, Antarctic Sponge, Asian Elephant, Black Coral, and Bowhead Whale.
That’s right! These creatures are amazing and have some pretty impressive life spans.
While most animals have a lifespan of just a few years, there are a select few that can live for decades. These animals with the longest lifespan can provide valuable insights into aging and longevity.
In this article, we will take a look at some of the longest-living animals on Earth. We will also explore what makes them so resilient, and how we can apply their secrets to our own lives.
Examples of Animals With the Longest Lifespan
In the wild, many animals live for much longer than in captivity. For example, a bat can live up to 30 years on average but only about 15 years when kept as pets by humans.
It is likely that this difference is due to stress caused by human contact and an unnatural environment (like being locked inside a cage).
22. Koi Fish
Scientific Name | Cyprinus rubrofuscus |
Type of Animal | Fish |
Range | Japan |
Lifespan | Up to 40 years |
Koi fish can live for up to 40 years, making them one of the longest-living fish on the planet. They are a popular choice for ornamental ponds due to their bright colors and impressive size.
Koi are hardy fish and can tolerate a wide range of water conditions, making them an easy addition to any garden pond.
Koi are domesticated fish only found in man-made ponds. They therefore are not stressed by living around humans and are often not exposed to many predators, making them live a decent while.
21. Western Gorilla
Scientific Name | Gorilla gorilla |
Type of Animal | Mammal |
Range | Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Equatorial Guinea |
Lifespan | Up to 40 years |
The Western Gorilla is a great ape that lives in equatorial Africa. They are the largest living primates, with males weighing up to 270kgs and females averaging about half this size at 140 kgs or 310 lbs.
Their diet consists primarily of leaves and fruit but they also eat insects such as ants or termites when available. In captivity, they can live up to 30 years old while wild individuals have been known to reach 40 years old.
20. Longfin Eel
Scientific Name | Anguilla dieffenbachii |
Type of Animal | Fish |
Range | New Zealand |
Lifespan | Up to 60 years |
The longfin eel is a freshwater species with an extremely slow growth rate and low reproductive output. They can live for up to 60 years and have been recorded growing more than 14 feet in length, although they usually only grow between two to five feet on average.
This fish has a complex life cycle involving multiple different forms at various stages of development before reaching maturity in their adult stage as eels or elvers. They are native to New Zealand but can also be found in Australia and the Cook Islands.
19. African Elephant
Scientific Name | Loxodonta |
Type of Animal | Mammal |
Range | Africa |
Lifespan | Up to 70 years |
The African elephant is the largest land mammal on Earth. In the wild, they can live up to 70 years, and some have even lived more than 100 years in captivity.
Their large size may protect them from predators and hunters; however, modern human activity has caused a significant decrease in population numbers over time due to habitat loss or fragmentation as well as poaching.
Related Article: Do African Elephant Have Tusks?
18. Asian Elephant
Scientific Name | Elephas maximus |
Type of Animal | Mammal |
Range | Asia |
Lifespan | Up to 70 years |
The Asian elephant has a lifespan of up to 60-70 years. They are smaller than African elephants, but they still reach over four tons when fully grown.
These animals live in the forests of India and Southeast Asia where they feed on grasses, fruits, leaves from trees such as mangoes or jackfruit seeds.
17. Macaw
Scientific Name | Ara macao |
Type of Animal | Bird |
Range | tropical North and South America |
Lifespan | Up to 75 years |
The macaw is a tropical American parrot that can live up to 75 years in the wild. They are known for their bright colors and intelligence, as well as their playful nature.
Macaws are currently threatened by habitat loss and the pet trade, so it is important to help conserve these beautiful creatures while we still can.
16. Freshwater Pearl Mussel
Scientific Name | Margaritifera margaritifera |
Type of Animal | bivalve mollusks |
Range | Western Russia |
Lifespan | Up to 100 years |
These freshwater mussels are native to North America and Europe. They can live up to 100 years, with some individuals reaching ages of over 250 years old.
This species is endangered due to water pollution as well as habitat destruction caused by human activities such as logging or mining operations near streams where they live.
15. Humans
Scientific Name | Homo sapiens |
Type of Animal | Mammal |
Range | Worldwide |
Lifespan | Up to 115 years |
We are the only species on Earth that can consciously extend our lifespan. The average human lifespan is around 80 years, but with advances in medical technology and a better understanding of the aging process, this number is constantly increasing.
In fact, there are now many people who are living well into their 100s. While genetics certainly plays a role in how long we live, our lifestyle choices are also important factors that can affect longevity.
14. Galapagos Giant Tortoise
Scientific Name | Chelonoidis niger |
Type of Animal | Reptile |
Range | Fernandina Island |
Lifespan | Up to 150 years |
The Galapagos tortoise is the world’s longest-living land animal, with some specimens living more than 150 years. They are found only in the Galapagos Islands, and their numbers have decreased significantly due to hunting and introduced predators.
These gentle giants are herbivores that feed mainly on cactus, and they can store water in their shells to survive for long periods without food or water.
13. Bowhead Whale
Scientific Name | Balaena mysticetus |
Type of Animal | Mammal |
Range | eastern Greenland |
Lifespan | Up to 200 years |
The bowhead whale is the longest-living mammal, with a lifespan of up to 200 years. They are found in the Arctic seas, and their thick blubber layer helps them survive in some of the harshest conditions on Earth.
They are also one of the most resilient animals, withstanding extreme cold and pressure changes. Bowhead whales feed mainly on crustaceans, plankton, and fish.
12. Red Sea Urchin
Scientific Name | Mesocentrotus franciscanus |
Type of Animal | Echinoidea |
Range | Northern Japan and Alaska to Baja California |
Lifespan | Up to 200 years |
The red sea urchin is a small marine invertebrate that can live up to 200 years. They are found on the rocky seabeds of the Pacific Ocean and have a hard outer shell for protection.
The red sea urchin is slow-moving but can move quickly if threatened by predators or hunters.
11. Rougheye Rockfish
Scientific Name | Sebastes aleutianus |
Type of Animal | Fish |
Range | Japan |
Lifespan | Up to 205 years |
The rougheye rockfish is a deep-sea fish that lives up to 205 years. They are found in the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean and can grow up to three feet long with a lifespan of about 20 years.
The rougheye rockfish has an elongated body covered with spines for protection from predators or hunters, which helps them survive underwater even when temperatures drop below zero.
10. Lamellibrachia
Scientific Name | Lamellibrachia |
Type of Animal | Worm |
Range | the northern Gulf of Mexico |
Lifespan | Over 250 years |
Lamellibrachia is a genus of deep-sea tubeworms that live in the cold, pressurized depths of hydrothermal vents on continental slopes and abyssal plains. They feed off methane seeps using their long tentacles to capture prey such as crustaceans or other small marine animals.
The oldest known specimen was discovered in 1990 and has been dated back to at least 250 years old; however, other specimens have not yet been studied so their age could be much older.
9. Tuatara
Scientific Name | Sphenodon |
Type of Animal | Reptile |
Range | New Zealand |
Lifespan | Up to 300 years |
The tuatara is an unusual reptile native to New Zealand. It looks like a lizard, but it’s actually more closely related to turtles than lizards or snakes. In the wild, these reptiles can live up to 300 years and some have even lived over 100 years in captivity.
8. Tubeworm
Scientific Name | Riftia pachyptila |
Type of Animal | Insect |
Range | The deep-sea of the Gulf of Mexico |
Lifespan | Up to 300 years |
Tubeworms are an interesting species of marine invertebrate that can live up to 300 years. They do not have a mouth or digestive system; rather, they get their nutrients from the bacteria in their tubes.
This symbiotic relationship is one reason why these creatures may be so resilient: if either partner dies off, then both would perish. Tubeworms are found in cold, deep waters all over the world.
7. Hydra
Scientific Name | Hydra |
Type of Animal | Hydrozoa |
Range | Greece |
Lifespan | Up to 500 years |
7The hydra is a freshwater polyp that can be found in ponds and lakes. They have no brain or heart, but they do possess some nerve cells that allow them to detect light and move toward food sources like algae.
Hydras are capable of regenerating themselves from just one cell if necessary; this means that theoretically speaking, there is no limit to their lifespan. Some hydras have been observed living for up to 500 years.
6. Ocean Quahog Clam
Scientific Name | Arctica islandica |
Type of Animal | Mollusk |
Range | Newfoundland to Cape Hatteras |
Lifespan | Up to 500 years |
The ocean quahog is a small clam that lives in cold, deep waters off the coast of Iceland and Greenland. They can live up to 500 years, and their slow metabolism helps them survive in cold temperatures with little food or water available.
The ocean quahog is an important food source for many organisms, including humans.
5. Greenland Shark
Scientific Name | Somniosus microcephalus |
Type of Animal | Fish |
Range | Greenland |
Lifespan | Up to 500 years |
The Greenland shark is the longest-living vertebrate on Earth, with a lifespan of between 300-500 years. These sharks are slow-moving and sluggish, making them an easy target for hunters.
However, they have few predators due to their thick skin and large size. Their long lifespan may be due to their low metabolism and lack of predators.
4. Black Coral
Scientific Name | Antipatharia |
Type of Animal | Cnidaria |
Range | Hawaii |
Lifespan | Up to 4,000 years |
Black coral is a type of marine invertebrate that can live for up to 4,000 years. These animals are incredibly resilient and can adapt to changing environmental conditions very quickly.
They also have an amazing ability to regenerate tissue, which helps them resist predators and disease.
3. Glass Sponge
Scientific Name | Hexactinellida |
Type of Animal | Cnidaria |
Range | the northwestern Gulf of Mexico |
Lifespan | Up to 10,000 years |
Glass sponges are marine creatures that can be found in temperate and cold waters around the world. They live in colonies and can grow to be over a meter tall. Glass sponges have been known to live for up to 10,000 years, making them one of the longest-living animals on Earth.
Unfortunately, they are also quite fragile and are susceptible to extinction from even the slightest disturbance.
2. Antarctic Sponge
Scientific Name | Cinachyra antarctica |
Type of Animal | phylum Porifera |
Range | Antarctica |
Lifespan | Up to 15,000 years |
The Antarctic sponge is a type of sea creature that lives in the cold waters near Antarctica. It can grow to be over 60 feet long and weigh more than 200 pounds.
This animal has no brain or nervous system, but it does have sensory organs called cnidocytes which detect touch and light stimuli from outside sources such as waves crashing against rocks or algae growing on their surface.
The Antarctic sponge can live for 5,000 to 15,000 years.
1. Immortal Jellyfish
Scientific Name | Turritopsis dohrnii |
Type of Animal | Cnidaria |
Range | the Caribbean Sea |
Lifespan | Theoretically infinite |
The immortal jellyfish is a unique creature that can revert back to its polyp stage after reaching sexual maturity. This allows it to bypass the normal aging process and essentially become immortal.
Immortal jellyfish have been known to live over 500 years, making them one of the longest-living animals on Earth.

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