Freshwater Fish
Many people ask how long animals live. Scholars have
been attempting to answer this question for a long time. Dogs live around 8-12 years, while
cats live 12-14 years. The truth is that animals live as long as they
are able to defend themselves and find food, barring any diseases or accidents. But what about fish? How long do
fish live?
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| Betta Fish |
The two most popular species of fish, Bettas and Goldfish for
example, are at opposite ends of the life cycle spectrum. Bettas have a life
span of a little more than three years while Goldfish can live for decades.
Life expectancy is usually not considered when people decide to add fish to
their home. Life expectancy of fish in the wild is unknown; however, with proper
care, captive fish can live for many years. Many freshwater fish live for about
one to three years. Some of the more popular species with this short life span
include Guppies, Platies, Mollies, Rainbowfish, Hatchetfish,
Corydoras catfish, and Barbs.
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| Hatchetfish |
There are also fish that live for about 3 to 5 years. These fish
include Bettas, Gourami, and Danios. Fish that will live for up
to 10 years include Tetras, Angelfish, Oscars, and Plecostomus (now that’s a
nice Greek name!).
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| Goldfish |
The popular freshwater fish with the longest life span is
the one and only goldfish. In a healthy environment , they can live up to 15
years. The oldest goldfish on record actually lived into his 30s.
A less popular but extremely long-lived fish is the Koi. Koi normally live for 30 to 40 years, but the oldest Koi ever recorded was over 200 years old.
Saltwater Fish
Saltwater fish tend to be more difficult to keep in
captivity, but if you provide them with the best possible environment (perfect
water quality, excellent diet, and appropriate tank size), saltwater fish
can live for many years. Most published information about the life span of
saltwater fish are from public aquariums, where the fish are kept in the best
possible conditions.
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| Raccoon Butterflyfish |
Some saltwater species only live for an average of 2 to 4 years. These include Butterflyfish, Damselfish, Mandarins, Gobies, and Triggerfish. Most small tropical Seahorses that are available for
aquariums live about 3 to 4 years. The larger Seahorses can live longer, but they are
rarely available for the home aquarium.
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| Seahorse |
A few of the more hardy species can live up to and over 10 years, including Lionfish, Clownfish, Eels, and Groupers. There are also many
varieties of Angelfish that can
live quite a long time. The Queen Angelfish, French Angelfish, and Gray
Angelfish can live up to 20 years and grow to a large adult size. For this
reason, few mature adult Angelfish are kept in captivity for as long as 20
years.
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| Queen Angelfish |
Well, that wraps things up for this time! Next week's entry, during which I will talk about my personal experiences with fish, will be the last, but I'll always be happy to answer any fish-related questions you may have.
References
