Update on Negligible Senescence in Long-Lived Fishes

[David Kipling]

John de Rivaz wrote:
> 
> I wonder whether life is a complex system of many variable, each one of
> which has an undesireable side effect. These can keep the "pin on its
> point" only for so long before it falls over. If you can find an
> immortal fish, then this theory must be disproved, at least as far as
> fishes go.

If you define immortality as no age-related increase in mortality rates I gather there are a 
number of species (e.g. lobsters) which behave in such a fashion.  OK, there are no million-year 
old lobsters, but that's because they suffer accidents, disease and get caught by New England 
fishermen... :-)   But is "no ageing" [which is no increase in mortality rates] the same as 
"immortality"?  Oh dear, I'm confused now.

David Kipling
Edinburgh