- A new study suggests Michigan lake sturgeon can live significantly longer than previously believed, with some females estimated to reach up to 427 years.
- This finding drastically revises previous research that capped the lake sturgeon's lifespan at 150 years, making them comparable to Greenland sharks, the longest-lived vertebrates.
- Researchers determined the estimates by analysing 44 years of growth data from five sturgeon populations, rather than directly observing fish of that age.
- Understanding their extended lifespan and late reproductive maturity, with females reproducing between 15 and 25 years old, is crucial for conservation efforts.
- Lake sturgeon populations, severely depleted since the late 1800s, continue to face threats from pollution, infrastructure, and climate change.
IN FULL
Some fish swimming in the Great Lakes could be upward of 400 years old, new study finds
