Abstract
Telomeres, the repetitive sequences found at the end of chromosomes, are observed to shorten with age in birds and mammals, but to date no investigation on changes of telomere length has been made in long-lived marine fish during ageing. We have measured the telomere length of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) ranging in age from 12 to 94 months. No overall decrease of telomere length could be detected, but a broad range of intraspecies variation was observed. Telomere length change does not appear to be useful for estimating age in this species, but may prove a useful tool for examining individual fitness and response to stress.