The world’s oldest living aquarium fish is a Californian who loves belly rubs named Methuselah
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The oldest living aquarium fish in the world is a nonagenarian.
Methuselah is a 90-year-old Australian lungfish, measuring 4 feet long and weighing 40 pounds, who resides at the Steinhart Aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Methuselah the fish – named after the biblical figure who is said to have lived to be 969 years old – is the oldest living fish in the world residing in an aquarium, inheriting the title grandfather, according to the Associated Press. Granddad, another Australian lungfish, died aged 95 at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago in 2017.
The California Academy of Sciences is unsure of Methuselah’s exact sex and age, as obtaining this information required a blood draw which could harm the aging fish. The academy believes Methuselah is female, but will know for sure after sending a small fin sample to Australian researchers. This less invasive testing method should reveal the exact sex and age of the fish.
Methuselah maintains a “calm” and unemotional attitude about its impressive status, Allan Jan, a senior biologist at the California Academy of Sciences, told AP.
“She’s an underwater puppy, very sweet, gentle, but of course if she’s scared she’ll have sudden bursts of energy. But for the most part she’s just calm,” he said. he adds.
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An unripe fig is one of the few things that attract cluster Methuselah scales.
“She’s a bit of a picky eater and only likes figs when they’re fresh and in season. She doesn’t eat them when they’re frozen,” Academy of Sciences spokeswoman Jeanette Peach told AP. from California.
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In addition to ripe figs, Methuselah likes to snack on blackberries, grapes, lettuce, clams, shrimp, and earthworms. She is one of three Australian lungfish living at the California Academy of Sciences.
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The Australian lungfish is a primitive species with both lungs and gills. Scientists believe the species is an evolutionary link between fish and amphibians, according to AP.
The outlet also reported that the Australian lungfish is an endangered species and can no longer be removed from Australian waters.