5 Oldest Animal Species Living Under Water

For the first cell that divided and turned into an organism that crawled out of the pool of live, animals have evolved into complex creatures that are equip with features that help them survive their environmental conditions. However, some animals still kept their most basic forms, even after millions of years. Below are five of the oldest animal species living in the waters that look pretty much the same as they did during the time of the dinosaurs.

Frilled Sharks

Considered as living fossils, these sharks have been around since 150 million years ago. They’re usually 5 feet long and have about 300 very sharp teeth lined up in 25 rows. What makes these sharks look so strange is that their mouth looks bigger than other shark species. They stay in close to the bottom of the ocean and rarely swim up, which is why not a lot is known about these creatures.

Horseshoe Shrimp

These guys were swimming with dinosaurs 200 million years ago. They may be tiny, with an average size of 2 to 4 millimeters in length, but they have the ability to survive almost any type of weather condition. Another feature that these shrimps have is the ability of their eggs to stay dormant when dry. Once hydrated, the eggs can develop and hatch.

Sturgeon

A fresh water fish, they’ve been swimming the waters of the North America and Eurasia for 200 million years.  Like salmon, these fishes spend most of their lives migrating during winter. They’re also huge, reaching an average length of 5.5 feet and weighing at 200 to 300 kilos. Although the lay a lot of eggs, humans are constantly harvesting them, causing this magnificent creature to be listed as critically endangered.

Coelacanath

Another very rare fish that’s been around for more than 360 million years, coelacanaths are seen in the coast of Indonesia and Africa. They can grow to about 6.5 feet and weigh in at 90 kg. A strange feature of these fishes is that they use their lobe fins like legs which make them move like trotting horses. These fishes stay in the deep which is why it’s difficult to study them. They can also live up to 60 years old.

Horseshoe Crab

Named after horse shoes because of their shape, they have been around for 445 million years. Horseshoe Crabs are seen all over the world and are identified by their light brown exoskeleton, spines and long tails. These crabs have a total of nine eyes, but only use two for seeing. The others are used as light receptors.