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The black teatfish, Holothuria (Microthele) whitmaei, is a sea cucumber with an appearance that has earned it an unflattering comparison to poop. A genetic study suggests this endangered Indo-Pacific animal can live for more than a century—but no researcher has documented an individual reaching 120. That figure is a model-based projection, not a verified age.
How long can a black teatfish live?
A study of black teatfish near Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef estimates a conservative mean lifespan of about 24–27 years and potential longevity exceeding 100 years. The researchers estimated adult mortality at about 0.04 per year. These figures describe different things: the mean is an estimate across animals, while the century-plus figure is a projection of how long some might survive.
The often-repeated 120-year claim comes from a model, not from finding a 120-year-old sea cucumber. ScienceAlert’s account of the study says that, if adult mortality stays roughly constant, the model suggests around 1% of a cohort could still be alive at 123.3 years. That is an extrapolation from the study’s mark-recapture results, not a measured maximum lifespan.
| Figure | What it means |
|---|---|
| 24 years | Time between the 2000 sampling and the 2024 resampling, as reported in the study abstract and by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). |
| About 60% | Share of animals sampled in 2024 whose genetic profiles matched 2000 samples, according to the study abstract. |
| About 24–27 years | Conservative mean lifespan estimate reported in the study abstract—not a maximum age. |
| More than 100 years | Potential longevity reported in the study abstract; the estimate is not a directly observed age. |
| 123.3 years | A model-based illustration in ScienceAlert’s report: around 1% of a cohort might reach this age if adult mortality remains roughly constant. |
How did researchers identify the same animals after 24 years?
Conventional physical tags can be difficult to keep attached to sea cucumbers. Instead, researchers collected small DNA tissue samples from black teatfish in 2000 and returned to the same reef area in 2024. A DNA profile can act like an identifier: if a later sample matches an earlier one, researchers can recognize the animal without a tag.
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AIMS says the animals were returned to the place they were sampled after the biopsy. The study abstract reports that about 60% of animals sampled in 2024 were genetically identical to animals sampled in 2000. This does not mean 60% of the entire population survived: it is the proportion of the 2024 sample that matched animals in the earlier sample.
The study also found negligible or negative growth in most recaptured animals, according to its abstract. That finding helps explain why genetic matching is useful for this species: size alone would not provide a reliable way to identify individuals across decades.
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What the findings do—and do not—show
Finding the same genetic profiles in samples taken 24 years apart supports the conclusion that adult black teatfish can have low mortality. It does not establish the exact age of those animals, track them continuously, or prove that every animal not found in 2024 had died. The surveys establish a long interval between samples, not each matched animal’s birth date.
Mark-recapture estimates depend on animals being found again. As ScienceAlert notes, a sea cucumber that moved beyond the sampling area or was missed could be counted as absent, even if it remained alive. That possibility affects apparent mortality and the longevity estimates derived from it; it is a limitation to account for, not proof that the model is wrong.
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ScienceAlert also reports that researchers found no juveniles in either survey, which may point to slow recruitment. That detail comes from the publication’s account of the study; the journal abstract does not state the juvenile finding.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the lifespan estimate matters for conservation
Black teatfish are endangered and listed under CITES, according to the study and AIMS. They are fished in Australia, the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia, and valued as a delicacy. Sea cucumbers also help recycle nutrients and mix sediment on tropical ocean floors, AIMS explains.
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The study’s authors warn that tropical sea-cucumber harvest models do not account for such extreme longevity and may overestimate sustainable yields. The concern is practical: if animals live a long time and populations replace adults slowly, fishing pressure can be harder to recover from than a model assuming faster turnover would suggest. The findings raise questions about catch limits and conservation; they do not, by themselves, announce a change in policy.
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