A compilation of longevity data in decapod crustaceans

Abstract Longevity information was collected from 219 literature sources for 244 decapod crustaceans, representing 1.7% of species, 4.8% of genera and 30% of families. Reliable methods of age determination (laboratory rearing, mark-recapture method, growth models, lipofuscin method) revealed longevities from 0.1 to 72 years, corresponding to a 700-fold difference between the shortest and longest lived species. The mean longevity of the species included in this article is 7.1 years (SD=10.18; CV=142.9%); 61.1% of the species live less than 5 years, 29.5% live between 5 and 20 years, and 9.4% live longer than 20 years. The basal Dendrobranchiata have a mean longevity of only 2.1 years whereas the Achelata have a mean longevity of 27.2 years. The oldest decapod aged with a direct method is a hermit crab that was reared in captivity for more than 42 years. The particularly long-lived species belong to different families of the infraorders Achelata, Astacidea, Anomura and Brachyura. Average longevity is highest in semiterrestrial and terrestrial habitats (13.0 years), followed by freshwater (7.2 years) and marine and brackish waters (6.0 years). The deep sea, polar waters, freshwater caves and terrestrial environments apparently promote the evolution of high life spans.