Native to the Great Lakes, the Lake Sturgeon is its oldest and largest species. Similar to the white sturgeon, it gets very large and has smooth skin and raised ridges. However, the relatively smaller lake sturgeon grows longer than six feet and weighs up to 200 pounds. Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) live extremely long. Some females reach 150 years. The oldest recorded lake sturgeon was 154!
In the past, their populations were almost decimated from the Great Lakes. Overfishing and overharvesting for their caviar was the cause, but their numbers have increased in response to better management.
Humpback Whale
A humpback whale is the size of a school bus, but it’s a gentle giant feeding primarily on krill and other small fish it sucks in and traps in its baleen. It was hunted to the brink of extinction, down 90%, until the 1966 moratorium saved it. In 2008 its threat for extinction was lowered to “least concern.” Today, the greatest threat to humpback whales are collisions with large ships and becoming entangled in fishing equipment.
Humpbacks can live for a long time. On average, they live 80 to 90 years. They can be found throughout the world’s oceans. Amazingly, they migrate 5,000 miles per year to feed their young. They can be found from Alaska to Hawaii, and across the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Maine to Norway. In California, whale watching is a popular activity, but the graceful beasts can also be viewed from the coast.
Blue and Yellow Macaw
This large South American bird is native to Central and South America. Its bold colors and loud vocalization skills define it. In the wild, macaws usually live 35 years. However, as a captive pet or in zoos they can live over 50 years. In 2011, a blue and yellow macaw was confirmed to be 112 years old! Since macaws are large parrots, you should be careful what you say around them.
Also, taking in a macaw as a pet is a long-term commitment. Expect to have it for up to 60 years. They are extremely loud and infamously messy. These creatures are playful and curious. They’re very social and intelligent and have large vocabularies. They like attention. Macaws thrive on a variety of fruits and nuts. As the largest parrot in the world, blue and yellow macaws grow almost three feet long. In the wild, they live in flocks and use their loud squawks to communicate. Macaws mate for life.
American Lobster
For a crustacean, lobsters are enormous! The American lobster (Homarus americanus) can grow to 25 inches in length and weigh up to 44 pounds. In 1977 the world’s largest lobster clocked in at 44.6 pounds. That’s the size of a small child. American lobsters, found in the Atlantic Ocean on the East coast from Canada to Jersey, are also the largest of all arthropods. Lobsters are super aggressive—you do not want to confront its sharp and powerful claws!
The world-record, 44-pounder’s claw were powerful enough to snap a man’s arm. But, with a side of drawn butter, they are delicious. (Every apology to our vegan readers). Having said that, lobsters are bottom-feeders which means they dine on mollusks, sea worms, starfish and shrimp; but, also mercury, pesticides, dioxins and other toxins that settle down there. Stay away from its green liver. A lobster can easily outlive a human. On average, lobsters will live 50 years. Left alone they may patrol the ocean floor for 100 years. It’s true! In 2009, a fisherman in Maine caught a massive specimen that was estimated to be 140 years old.
Ocean Quahog Clam
The only thing that might possibly live longer than a Greenland shark is this clam. In 2006, researchers discovered an ocean quahog clam specimen that was estimated to be 507 years old. The mollusk made it into the Guinness Book of World Records and was dubbed Ming, named after the Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644) which was in power when the clam first formed. The researchers used carbon dating and ring-counting to determine its age.
Unlike other clams that live just beneath the soil, ocean quahog clams (Arctica islandica) live deep down where they’re less susceptible to predators. These clams are one of the longest living organisms in the world and can live for at least 200 years. Most quahogs are three to four inches in size and grey in color. They are also known as Icelandic cyprine, mahogany clam, black quahog, and black clam.