Overview
- A peer-reviewed study led by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Michigan State, which published coverage this week, used 44 years of capture–mark–recapture records and growth models to estimate many lake sturgeon live well past 200 years and some may reach 300–400+ years.
- The research replaced the usual technique of counting growth rings on pectoral fin spines because rings blur in old fish, and instead modeled long-term body growth to derive much higher lifespan estimates.
- Authors say the new ages do not yet prove biological mechanisms for extreme longevity and call for follow-up validation studies that directly test aging methods and examine physiology.
- The longer lifespans matter for management because lake sturgeon mature slowly and reproduce infrequently, so population recovery, harvest limits and restoration timelines may need to be revised to avoid overestimating population resilience.
- Decades of tagging and monitoring by state agencies, universities and tribal partners made the analysis possible, and researchers say the results align with Indigenous oral knowledge that some sturgeon live for centuries.