BACKGROUND: A laboratory inbred strain of the annual fish Nothobranchius furzeri 
shows exceptionally short life expectancy and accelerated expression of age 
markers. In this study, we analyze new wild-derived lines of this short-lived 
species.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We characterized captive survival and 
age-related traits in F1 and F2 offspring of wild-caught N. furzeri. 
Wild-derived N. furzeri lines showed expression of lipofuscin and 
neurodegeneration at age 21 weeks. Median lifespan in the laboratory varied from 
to 20 to 23 weeks and maximum lifespan from 25 to 32 weeks. These data 
demonstrate that rapid age-dependent decline and short lifespan are natural 
characteristics of this species. The N. furzeri distribution range overlaps with 
gradients in altitude and aridity. Fish from more arid habitats are expected to 
experience a shorter survival window in the wild. We tested whether captive 
lines stemming from semi-arid and sub-humid habitats differ in longevity and 
expression of age-related traits. We detected a clear difference in 
age-dependent cognitive decline and a slight difference in lifespan (16% for 
median, 15% for maximum lifespan) between these lines. Finally, we observed 
shorter lifespan and accelerated expression of age-related markers in the inbred 
laboratory strain compared to these wild-derived lines.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Owing to large differences in aging phenotypes in 
different lines, N. furzeri could represent a model system for studying the 
genetic control of life-history traits in natural populations.