Photographs show some tropical sea cucumbers live for at least 33 years

Four individuals tracked at Australia’s Lizard Island survived 11 years between photographs, confirming multi-decade lifespans.

Editorial illustration — not from the study.

Researchers photographed and later recaptured four large sea cucumbers at Lizard Island, Australia. The animals were estimated to be up to 22 years old when first photographed in 2012 and were matched to new photographs 11 years later, confirming lifespans of at least 33 years.

The sea cucumbers grew slowly, increasing in body size by 0.2–1.3% per year, and some moved very little over the study period. The researchers estimated a generation length of at least 21 years for the species, Bohadschia argus, which is harvested in fisheries across the western central Pacific and Southeast Asia.

Sea cucumbers tracked for 11 years

The study used photographs of persistent eye-spot patterns to identify individual Bohadschia argus sea cucumbers over time. Four individuals first photographed in 2012 were recaptured photographically 11 years later. Most of their eye-spots remained recognizable, allowing the researchers to confirm that they lived at least 33 years. Their body size increased by just 0.2–1.3% per year, and some individuals had moved little during the 11-year period. The researchers estimated that the species has a generation length of at least 21 years.

Why long lives matter

Lifespan and generation length affect how scientists assess extinction risk and set fishery-management strategies. Because Bohadschia argus is harvested in parts of the Pacific and Southeast Asia, the evidence for multi-decade lifespans supports using conservative generation-length estimates in conservation planning and fishery models.

The evidence and its limits

The evidence comes from an 11-year photographic mark–recapture study at one location, Lizard Island in Australia. It directly tracked four individuals of one sea cucumber species, rather than estimating lifespan across all tropical sea cucumbers. The animals’ ages at the start of the study were estimated, so the confirmed minimum lifespan is at least 33 years.

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