Deep-sea black coral, Leiopathes glaberrima, with commensal galatheoid crab photographed at 300 meters depth in the Gulf of Mexico. Individuals of this species have been dated to be over 2,000 years old, thereby making them some of the oldest known marine species.
Deep-sea Black Coral, Leiopathes glaberrima
Image courtesy of Lophelia II: Reefs, Rigs, and Wrecks 2009 Expedition, NOAA OER/BOEM. Download larger version (jpg, 127 KB).

Deep-sea black coral, Leiopathes glaberrima, with commensal galatheoid crab photographed at 300 meters depth in the Gulf of Mexico. Individuals of this species have been dated to be over 2,000 years old, thereby making them some of the oldest known marine species.

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