True sea Anemones life spans

[MrBunny]

I don't know if any of you read Marine Fish and Reef USA. I got the annual 2009 magazine a little while ago and was reading. I'm qouting this from the article " In theory, true sea anemones can go on living forever." - written by Vincent Hargreaves, PH. D

Is this true? If so I would feel like a total jerk if I was to kill something that old.

 

[wicked_NaCl_h2o]

This is what I have read as well..no one really knows how long anemones live.

 

[davocean]

Yeah, not alot known about these guys still, and I've seen/heard from 50-100yrs to indefinitely.
But I wouldn't let that stop you.
Tank size/specs/light may decide for you though, or at least help w/ advice.

 

[scottallert]

i would think they live for ever saying that the split and just keep splitting it just goes on until an unbalenced force acts upon it, as a sea creature destroying it or global warming having an effect on temp changes.

 

[MrBunny]

To think that I could with proper care keep an anemone alive long enough to pass it on to the next generation.

 

[noboddi]

Anemones do not age or go through cellular deterioration like most plants and animals. Given nutrition and no predation they can live indefinitely. Theoretically a wild anemone could be thousands of years old. Really no way to know how old an anemone is. Size does not predict age as in the wild, an anemone with poor nutrition will simply shrink. Pretty cool animals