This sea creature survived for over 500 years beneath the Atlantic Ocean |
Cold Atlantic waters do not often produce headlines, yet one clam drawn from the seabed near Iceland shifted scientific records. In 2006, researchers collected a specimen later named Ming. At first, growth rings on its shell suggested an age of about 405 years. That alone would have placed it among the oldest animals ever recorded. A later reassessment in 2013, using more precise counting methods, extended the estimate to 507 years. The species, known as the ocean quahog, now holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest non-colonial animal. Unlike corals, which are colonies of many polyps living together, this clam lived as a single organism. Its lifespan has since shaped research into ageing, climate history and deep-sea survival.
Ming the clam became the oldest recorded animal at 507 years
The clam belonged to the species Arctica islandica, commonly called the ocean quahog. Scientists determine age by counting annual growth bands in the shell, similar in principle to tree rings. When Ming was first examined, researchers miscounted some of the early bands. Improved techniques later corrected the figure to 507 years.The shell itself remains part of the scientific record. It offers a physical timeline of changing ocean conditions. Each layer reflects shifts in temperature and chemistry over centuries. That slow accumulation of detail explains why the species draws attention beyond its age alone.Among animals that live as individuals, the ocean quahog stands at the top. The Greenland shark is often cited as the next longest lived vertebrate, with estimates of around 400 years.
Ocean quahogs live buried deep below the surface
An ocean quahog does not look remarkable at first glance. It is a rounded clam with two hinged shell halves known as valves. When alive, the outer surface is covered by a dark layer called the periostracum, which gives it a black or mahogany appearance.Older specimens can measure more than 13 centimetres across and over 5 centimetres thick. Most people never see them alive. They bury themselves in sediment between 400 and 500 metres underwater in the North Atlantic. Empty shells sometimes wash ashore, but the living animal remains out of sight.Life at that depth moves slowly. Water temperatures stay low. Light barely reaches the seabed. Growth is steady rather than rapid.
Filter feeding supports a lifespan measured in centuries
Ocean quahogs feed by filtering water. They draw seawater in through an inhalant siphon. Tiny hair like structures called cilia create a current that carries water across the gills. There, mucus traps algae and organic particles. Food moves towards the mouth while filtered water exits through a separate opening.The process repeats almost constantly. It is simple and energy efficient. Environmental changes such as shifts in water temperature or currents may interrupt the routine, but otherwise the clam continues quietly.That steady rhythm, repeated over centuries, is part of what allows the ocean quahog to endure. Its record lifespan remains a reminder that longevity in the natural world often depends on patience rather than speed.
