AGE-DEFYING SPECIES 

Some species in the animal kingdom have evolved to thrive and adapt to varied conditions for survival. Some possess remarkable traits that allow them to slow, halt, or even reverse the ageing process. 

Here are the top 5 longest-living animals on Earth:

Hydra is small invertebrates with soft bodies, regenerating stem cells through duplication or cloning, allowing them to live forever.

These species are also known as immortal jellyfish, which can revert to their polyp stage and regenerate indefinitely, effectively avoiding death.

Found in deep oceans, glass sponges can live for thousands of years, with one species, Monorhaphis chuni, estimated to be 11,000 years old.

Deep-water black corals are among the longest-living, with specimens near Hawaii radiocarbon-dated to 4,265 years old. 

The species, like the 507-year-old "Ming" found near Iceland, have shown slow metabolisms that may allow them to surpass this age.