The team discovered evidence that they are among the longest-living freshwater fish in the world .
Discovering the secret of one of the longest-lived freshwater fish
According to Interesting Engineering, in 2024, scientists discovered interesting facts about a species of fish that can live for more than 100 years in a lake in the middle of the American desert, despite the harsh living conditions there.
These fish are found in oases, streams and other bodies of water in the desert. They survive in isolated conditions and thrive thanks to their ability to adapt to the harsh conditions of the desert.
Specifically, a team of experts from the University of Minnesota conducted research on fish species living in Apache Lake, located in the southwestern Arizona desert. The subject of the research was the largemouth buffalo fish, a member of the genus Ictiobus.
Scientists have discovered interesting facts about a fish species that can live for more than 100 years in a lake in the middle of the American desert. (Photo: Pixabay)
They collected thin slices of the otoliths, the calcium-based structures that help maintain balance while swimming, from 386 wild buffalo fish, according to National Geographic . Otoliths are small, stone-like structures that grow over the years of a fish's life. Each year, a new layer forms on the otolith.
Experts can determine the age of fish by analyzing the layers on the otolith through a compound microscope and counting them like counting the rings on a tree trunk.
Preliminary results showed that many fish were between 80 and over 100 years old, which surprised them. To verify this result, the research team applied the radiocarbon dating method. The results obtained later confirmed the accuracy of the results obtained by the ring counting method.
Of the largemouth buffalo fish analyzed, five individuals lived to be over 100 years old. Some individuals of the buffalo fish species may have lived as far back as 1918 and are still alive today.
In 2019, a record 10 kg female was caught near Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, USA, at the age of 112. In January 2023, researchers discovered a 127-year-old largemouth buffalo fish in Saskatchewan, Canada.
This discovery makes the largemouth buffalo fish one of the longest-lived freshwater fish species in the world.
Experts can determine the age of fish by analyzing the layers on the otolith through a compound microscope and counting them like counting the rings on a tree trunk. (Photo: Pixabay)
What's special is that this buffalo fish species has the ability to live healthily past the age of 80 and 90 , with better response to stress and a more effective immune system than younger individuals, said the research team leader.
Buffalo fish can survive decades between breeding cycles because they require extremely specific environmental conditions to thrive. As a result, they have evolved the ability to live long lives to compensate for long periods of non-reproduction. In Saskatchewan, buffalo fish have been known to live up to 50 years without reproducing, spawning only in a small, stable range of water levels.
Older buffalo fish are less stressed and have a higher resistance to bacteria than younger individuals. In addition, they have lower levels of neutrophils and lymphocytes in their blood, indicating lower stress levels.
The team of experts said that buffalo fish were initially raised in hatcheries and ponds along the Mississippi River. Then, in 1918, the US government released them into Lake Roosevelt, which is upstream of Apache Lake in Arizona.
Roosevelt Lake has been commercially harvested from time to time, while Apache Lake’s population remains relatively stable and unaffected. However, some local fishermen have recently begun using longline fishing to catch buffalo in Apache Lake.
After observing unusual black and orange spots on the body of the fish, the fishermen sent samples to the lab for analysis by experts. And the analysis results surprised scientists because they believed that "not many other freshwater fish species on the planet can live that long".
This fish has evolved the ability to live long to compensate for long periods of non-reproduction. (Photo: Pixabay)
The team will then continue their research to learn more about the buffalo fish's genetic code, its long-term resistance to infection and disease, and how it has adapted to the harsh desert conditions.
The researchers suggest that the longevity of the buffalo fish breaks previous standards for vertebrate aging, and raise questions about the mechanisms that may contribute to their longevity. They wonder whether the buffalo fish's remarkable longevity is related to its unique habitat and evolutionary adaptations.
They also inferred that, over the past few decades, largemouth buffalo spawning has been unfavorable. The cause may be human dam construction, which has prevented them from migrating upstream to spawn.
Native fish species often mistaken for carp
The largemouth buffalo fish (Ictiobus cyprinellus), also known as the gourdhead, marblehead, redmouth buffalo, or buffalo fish, is endemic to North America and can grow to 80 pounds (36 kg). It has a fairly wide distribution range, from the Red River in Manitoba, Canada and North Dakota, USA, to the Ohio River and extending south into the Mississippi River system, down to Texas and Alabama in the USA. It is the largest species of buffalo fish, reaching lengths exceeding 4 feet (1.2 meters) and weights of up to 65 pounds (29 kg). Previously, the longest recorded age of this species was 26 years.
The optimal habitat for largemouth buffalo to breed is water with new submerged vegetation. They are a very hardy fish that can tolerate high turbidity and low oxygen levels. They can be found in water with turbidity above 100 ppm. Total dissolved solids should be at least 200 ppm during the growing season.
Largemouth buffalo fish are often confused with common carp. (Photo: Pixabay)
In fact, largemouth buffalo are often called "trash fish" because they are not popular as food and are often confused with carp , an invasive species in the United States. However, scientists say they play an important role in the local ecosystem.
Largemouth buffalo are increasingly popular bowhunters. In most states where they are found, there are no regulations restricting the hunting of largemouth buffalo for sport or commercial purposes.
While the largemouth buffalo fish is not listed as endangered in the United States, it has received special attention from conservationists in Canada. Scientists hope that new findings about the species' exceptionally long lifespan will spur more interest in its conservation.
Nguyet Pham (Synthesis)
Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/bi-an-loai-ca-duoc-tim-thay-song-giua-sa-mac-my-tho-toi-hon-100-tuoi-cang-gia-cang-khoe-172241031072930835.htm
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