@article {2679, title = {Bigmouth Buffalo Ictiobus cyprinellus sets freshwater teleost record as improved age analysis reveals centenarian longevity}, journal = {Communications Biology}, volume = {2}, year = {2019}, month = {Jan-12-2019}, abstract = {Understanding the age structure and population dynamics of harvested species is crucial for sustainability, especially in fisheries. The Bigmouth Buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus) is a fish endemic to the Mississippi and Hudson Bay drainages. A valued food-fish for centuries, they are now a prized sportfish as night bowfishing has become a million-dollar industry in the past decade. All harvest is virtually unregulated and unstudied, and Bigmouth Buffalo are declining while little is known about their biology. Using thin-sectioned otoliths and bomb-radiocarbon dating, we find Bigmouth Buffalo can reach 112 years of age, more than quadrupling previous longevity estimates, making this the oldest known freshwater teleost (~12,000 species). We document numerous populations that are comprised largely (85-90\%) of individuals over 80 years old, suggesting long-term recruitment failure since dam construction in the 1930s. Our findings indicate Bigmouth Buffalo require urgent attention, while other understudied fishes may be threatened by similar ecological neglect.}, keywords = {Ageing, Conservation biology, Freshwater ecology, Ichthyology}, doi = {10.1038/s42003-019-0452-0}, url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31149641/}, author = {Lackmann, Alec R. and Andrews, Allen H. and Butler, Malcolm G. and Bielak-Lackmann, Ewelina S. and Clark, Mark E.} }