Record-Breaking Ribbon Worm Is The Oldest Ever Found
▼ Summary
– Biologist Jon Allen owns the world’s oldest recorded ribbon worm, named Baseodiscus the Eldest, which is at least 26 and likely around 30 years old.
– This discovery significantly shifts scientific understanding, as it increases the known lifespan of ribbon worms by an order of magnitude from just a few years.
– The worm, identified as the species *Baseodiscus punnetti*, has been in Allen’s care since 2005 after being collected as an adult from the San Juan Islands in the late 1990s.
– Ribbon worms are a widespread but poorly understood group, and this finding helps fill a major knowledge gap about the longevity of these marine predators.
– The study suggests that understanding the lifespans of such marine worms is important for assessing their ecological impact in marine ecosystems.
Biologist Jon Allen now holds a unique record, caring for the world’s oldest known ribbon worm. This remarkable invertebrate, affectionately named Baseodiscus the Eldest, is at least 26 years old and likely closer to 30, according to a detailed new study. While the worm stretches to about a meter long, determining its exact age proved far more challenging than measuring its length.
Marine invertebrates are famous for their longevity, with some deep-sea species living for centuries. Ribbon worms are common throughout the world’s oceans, yet scientists understand very little about how long they actually live. This discovery shatters previous records for the entire phylum Nemertea. The only other lifespan documented in scientific literature was a mere three years, making this individual an extraordinary outlier.
“Ribbon worms are an incredibly diverse and widespread phylum, yet almost nothing is known about their natural longevity,” Allen explains. He emphasizes that this single finding dramatically expands our knowledge, pushing the known lifespan for these animals up by an order of magnitude. This shift fundamentally changes how researchers view an entire major group of marine predators.
Allen has provided a home for the worm, nicknamed ‘B’, since 2005, maintaining a tank with plenty of mud for burrowing. He originally received the creature from the University of North Carolina’s biology department after facility renovations displaced it. Although its precise birth date remains a mystery, researchers collected B as a fully grown adult from the San Juan Islands in the late 1990s.
Over the last twenty years, this well-traveled invertebrate has lived in several states, moving from Washington to North Carolina, then to Maine, and finally to Virginia. The recent genetic testing, prompted by a former student, revealed B belongs to the species Baseodiscus punnetti. It is only the second individual of this species ever to have its genetic code cataloged.
Ribbon worms are notable not just for potential age, but also for incredible length. The longest animal ever found alive is thought to be a ribbon worm discovered on a Scottish beach in 1864. Historical accounts suggest that when fully extended, this washed-up specimen measured about twice the length of a blue whale, leaving one to wonder just how old that ancient creature might have been.
Allen and his colleagues note that these marine worms could provide critical insights for longevity research. Establishing reliable lifespan estimates for nemerteans will help scientists better evaluate the ecological role these long-lived seabed predators play in marine environments. Understanding their life history is key to assessing their impact on ocean ecosystems.
(Source: Science Alert)