Pacific rockfish are among the longest-lived vertebrates — some species live 200+ years. Yet others live barely 10. Their varied lifespans make rockfish a unique genus in which to pinpoint genes associated with long lifespan. Biologists sequenced and compared the genomes of 88 species and found longevity-related genes involved in living at depth and growing larger, but also an increase in some types of regulatory genes. Longer life also correlates with decreased population sizes.
