Australian studies have found that tropical coral reef fish can live to more than 80 years

, Dec. 13 (Xinhua Chen Yu) Australian Institute of Oceanographic Research researchers confirmed that an 81-year-old spotted flute living off the coast of Western Australia is the world's longest known tropical coral reef fish. The paper is published in the new issue of the German journal Coral Reef.
The Australian Oceanographic Institute said in a report that its researchers surveyed the growth of tropical fish at four locations off the coast of Western Australia and near the Chagos Archipelago in the central Indian Ocean, and found 11 fish over the age of 60. Researchers have discovered the 81-year-old spotted flute and a 79-year-old white spotted flute in a coral reef in western Australia's north-west.
's ear bones have growth bands, similar to tree wheels, and scientists can identify their age by using the fish's ear bones.
Researchers say previous studies have estimated that fish in shallow tropical waters can live up to about 60 years, while new research suggests that at least two tropical fish species have individuals who have entered or are entering the "year of the crust" and may even live longer.
Dr Brett Taylor, a fish biologist at the Australian Institute of Oceanographics, who led the study, said local conservation of marine resources and restrictions on fishing were one of the reasons the fish lived longer and that studies would help to understand the impact of climate change on fish size and longevity.