After 2 years sifting through the data it was discovered that, of the 55 DNA samples taken, 33 belonged to the very same specimens recorded in 2000. This creature was previously only thought to live for around 10 years, but this estimate has now been increased to potentially over a century.

Credits: Unsplash; Author: LI FEI;

That number comes from a computer modelling done of the black teatfish sea cucumber’s lifespan using the DNA samples taken, finding a very slow aging rate for the species. While it could live to as far as a century, what's confirmed is it can live for up to between 24 and 27 years.

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