Old fish ?
- Thread starter brifirst
- Start date
The oldest captive fish is "grandpa" an Australian lungfish at the Shedd Aquarium. I forget how old it is for sure - but close to 80 years old. I took care of it for a time when I was an aquarist there back in the 1980's - it really didn't look any older than other lungfish.
I'm just finishing up an article on mortality rates in captive fishes. The following is a list of sample longevity data - not records per-se, just decently long-lived:
Black tip reef shark - 20 years (still alive)
Clark’s clown - 8y 4m
Cuttlefish - 13 months
Deep sea isopod - 8 years
Diamond butterflyfish - 12 years
Giant Pacific Octopus - 27 months
Leptogorgia sp. - 16 years (cuttings 20+ total years in captivity)
Marsh killifish - 4 1/2 years
Neon goby – 4 ½ years
Photoblepharon flashlight fish - 16 years (still alive)
Ocellaris clownfish - 4y 3m
Orbicularis batfish - 18 years
Slipper lobster - 8 years
Sailfin tang - 12 years
Squirrelfish - 10 years
Tiger cowry - 7 years 3 months (acquired as an adult)
Jay Hemdal
I'm just finishing up an article on mortality rates in captive fishes. The following is a list of sample longevity data - not records per-se, just decently long-lived:
Black tip reef shark - 20 years (still alive)
Clark’s clown - 8y 4m
Cuttlefish - 13 months
Deep sea isopod - 8 years
Diamond butterflyfish - 12 years
Giant Pacific Octopus - 27 months
Leptogorgia sp. - 16 years (cuttings 20+ total years in captivity)
Marsh killifish - 4 1/2 years
Neon goby – 4 ½ years
Photoblepharon flashlight fish - 16 years (still alive)
Ocellaris clownfish - 4y 3m
Orbicularis batfish - 18 years
Slipper lobster - 8 years
Sailfin tang - 12 years
Squirrelfish - 10 years
Tiger cowry - 7 years 3 months (acquired as an adult)
Jay Hemdal
Kahuna Tuna
Active member
The oldest fish I ever kept was a silfin tang which I had for about 12 years when I gave him to Jeff of Jeff's Exotic fish, if he is still alive he is pushing 16 years. I just had a YWG dissappear (he may still be in the tank somewhere) that I had over 9 years. My oldest current fish are a pair of true percs that are nearing 7 years in my tank.
brokereefer617
New member
yellow tang for 6 years
nismo_32
Active member
i just lost a female of golden striped maroones that was almost 12 years old. the male is still alive. the female just died with no explanation. water params were all good. incredibly the male stayed small even though he was very very old. he since has gotten a little bigger but no where near the size she was. also the female wasnt even maroone anymore she more close to being black. really really dark....
Baltimore Bryan
New member
Percula clown for 17-18 years
romsoccer12
New member
18 years omg... please show a pic
Big E
Premium Member
90% of the marine fish available should live at least 10 years & 20 is not uncommon. Fish seldom just die before that time. Usually they die at the hands of the hobbyist.
Current fish-
Purple Tang-16.5 years
GSM Maroon pair-8+ years
Muellers CBB Butterfly-5 years
Taupo Damsel- 9+ years
Current fish-
Purple Tang-16.5 years
GSM Maroon pair-8+ years
Muellers CBB Butterfly-5 years
Taupo Damsel- 9+ years
Baltimore Bryan
New member
Unfortunately, she died several years back. She was the only fish to live through several almost tank crashes, including disease outbreaks and heating incidents where the water was above 90 degrees. There was one final disease problem that knocked out about 1/2 the fish, and she died a couple of months later. I think the stress was just too much for her to fully recover. Currently, the oldest fish I have alive is a pink damsel that is 5-6 years old.
Paul B
Premium Member
This fire clown in the center is 17 years old and still spawning, lucky old geezer. My oldest fish was a cusk eel or brutlyd that I killed by mistake after 18 years. I had 6 blue devils for 7 years and a hippo for 12.
These two hermits are about 12 and also still spawning, but yes I know, they are not fish
These two hermits are about 12 and also still spawning, but yes I know, they are not fish
