Rougheye rockfish: a 200-year swimmer reshaping aging science and fisheries
Rougheye rockfish in the deep North Pacific can live over 200 years. A 2021 Science study linked their extreme lifespan to both environmental factors (cold, deep water, large body size) and genetic factors, identifying 137 longevity-associated genes—many involved in DNA repair and insulin signaling—while noting the species matures around age 20 and can produce up to 700,000 eggs per year for up to 150 years. This slow life history makes them unusually vulnerable to overfishing, and removing the oldest individuals can hinder population recovery for centuries, underscoring the need for careful management.