A tiny animal, called an Artemia shrimp or sea monkey, found in the Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA, has surprised researchers by discovering its lifespan can be more than 10,000 years.
Artemia shrimp, also known as sea monkeys, are very resilient creatures, their lifespan can last more than 10,000 years.
Although only about 15mm in size, this Artemia shrimp is one of the toughest animals on earth. They live in salt water environments and have demonstrated extraordinary survival abilities through many harsh conditions.
The first records of the existence of this animal were in 982 in Lake Urmia – a salt water lake in Northwest Iran. But it was not until 1757 that people officially published drawings and documents about this shrimp species.
The main food of Artemia shrimp is seaweed and plankton. The interesting thing is that female shrimp do not need help from male shrimp and can still reproduce normally.
Artemia shrimp are masters of survival, they can survive in water salt concentrations up to 50%, while sea water only accounts for 3.5%.
Take them to dry, dry them over fire, immerse them in alcohol, in a vacuum environment and under pressure at a depth of 6,000 meters below the seabed or even take them out into space, they still live as usual.
When Artemia shrimp are exposed to direct ultraviolet light or boiled at 105 degrees Celsius or at temperatures close to 0, they still exist. If normal creatures fall into such tests, they will certainly have no chance of survival.
For the tiny shrimp Artemia, even if the water content is only 3%, it is not a problem that affects survival. Because when dehydrated, they will immediately turn cells into solid sugar blocks to ensure the cells are not deformed and broken.
In addition, Artemia shrimp can also “dry” their bodies to help avoid health risks due to the amount of water inside, and they have the ability to self-repair damaged protein structures.
The ability to self-dry, turn cells into solid sugar blocks or survive in harsh water-deficient environments has enabled Artemia shrimp to live for tens of thousands of years, a remarkable number.