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ScienceQuiet 7d · day 8

Study finds Great Lakes sturgeon may live 400+ years, tripling prior record

Research using transponder tags on fish tracked since 1980 suggests lake sturgeon males can reach 435 years old.

newest coverage 6d agosummary written 6d ago3 pieces331 likes & upvotes8 comments NewswiresBlueskyHacker News

What to know

  • Lake sturgeon in the Great Lakes may live 435 years or more—nearly triple the previous record of 154 years set in 1953.
  • Researchers used transponder tags tracked over 44 years (1980–2024) across five Upper Great Lakes waterways to bypass the unreliability of counting growth rings in long-lived fish.
  • Scientists note further research is needed to confirm the findings, which could reshape age estimates for all sturgeon species.
  • The longevity would place lake sturgeon among the longest-living vertebrates, second only to Greenland sharks.
some voices

The findings are scientifically significant and warrant broader reassessment of sturgeon lifespan across species.

  • “All sturgeon species now need to be reassessed for their age because of this paper.”

    Prosanta Chakrabarty · Smithsonian Magazine ↗
some voices

The longevity of individual sturgeon carries personal significance as witnesses to long historical change in the Great Lakes.

  • “Some of my elders could be more than 400 yrs old. They have seen much change in the Great Lakes”

    lakemichigan13.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗

“However, in long-lived and slow-growing sturgeons, the annuli eventually begin to form close together and become indistinguishable—or they don't form at all.”

Edward Baker, Study co-author, Michigan DNR · Smithsonian Magazine ↗ · Sep 15

Edward Baker Fisheries researcher, Michigan DNR; study co-authorProsanta Chakrabarty Ichthyologist, Louisiana State University

Study finds Great Lakes sturgeon may live 400+ years, tripling prior record
smithsonianmag.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

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Sep 17Sep 18Sep 19Sep 20Sep 21Sep 22yesterdaynow · 4:43 AM ET
  1. 2

    ichthyologist calls for reassessment of all sturgeon species

    Prosanta Chakrabarty, an ichthyologist from Louisiana State University not involved in the research, states that the study's implications require a broader scientific response.

    “All sturgeon species now need to be reassessed for their age because of this paper.”
    — Prosanta Chakrabarty
    • lakemichigan13.bsky.social

      Some of my elders could be more than 400 yrs old. They have seen much change in the Great Lakes 🌊🌊

      lakemichigan13.bsky.socialBluesky6d ago329▲view on Bluesky ↗
  2. 1

    Smithsonian publishes article on sturgeon longevity study findings

    Smithsonian Magazine covers the new research, noting that lake sturgeon may be among the longest-living vertebrates, second only to Greenland sharks, and highlighting the need for follow-up work to confirm the findings.

    “Males may live up to 435 years, possibly more, which is nearly three times the age of the previously known oldest lake sturgeon.”
    — Journal of Fish Biology study · source
  3. background

    Study published showing lake sturgeon may live 435 years — Research in the Journal of Fish Biology using 44 years of tracking data concludes male lake sturgeon may reach 435 years, possibly more—nearly three times the age of the previously known oldest lake sturgeon, a 154-year-old fish caught in 1953.

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