In Australia they find the oldest known tropical reef fish

 

Off the coast of Western Australia (WA), researchers found an 81-year-old specimen of a midnight snapper (Macolor macularis). This specimen was confirmed as the oldest tropical reef fish in the world. Image of midnight snapper dated at 81 years.

Brett Taylor, a fish biologist at the institute and in charge of directing the study, explained that together with his work group they examined the age of three species of tropical fish, the red sea bass (Lutjanus bohar), the midnight snapper (Macolor macularis) and black and white snapper (Macolor niger). So far, the oldest fish they had found in shallow tropical waters were around 60 years old.

The oldest tropical reef fish was a 79-year-old red bass caught during a 1997 fishery survey at Rowley Shoals in northwestern Australia. Now, Taylor pointed out that among the study specimens is the fish that managed to break that record. It is an 81-year-old midnight snapper (Macolor macularis) that was collected in 2016 in this same area.

 

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