What’s a fish or invert that has / had a surprisingly long lifespan for you?

toi_ss

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 5, 2024
Messages
103
Reaction score
51
Location
new zealand
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Haven't been in the hobby or even alive long enough to have much experience with these type of things but i've heard alot of people have really old tangs and clowns
 

Jay Hemdal

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 31, 2020
Messages
26,029
Reaction score
25,786
Location
Dundee, MI
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Is there a fish or invert you keep or used to keep that lived a surprisingly long lifespan for you?

Here is a list of animals we’ve kept in a public aquarium that were able to be followed as individuals:

Black tip reef shark 30 years
Clark’s clown 8y 4m
Cuttlefish 13 months
Deep sea isopod 8 years
Diamond butterflyfish 12 years
Leptogorgia sp. 16 years (cuttings 40+ total years in captivity)
Marsh killifish 4 ½ years
Neon goby 4 ½ years
Flashlight fish 18 years
Ocellaris clownfish 4y 3m
Orbicularis batfish 18 years
Slipper lobster 8 years
Sailfin tang 12 years
Squirrelfish 10 years
Tiger cowry 7 years 3 month
 

mues

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 25, 2023
Messages
271
Reaction score
354
Location
Jacksonville
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Here is a list of animals we’ve kept in a public aquarium that were able to be followed as individuals:

Black tip reef shark 30 years
Clark’s clown 8y 4m
Cuttlefish 13 months
Deep sea isopod 8 years
Diamond butterflyfish 12 years
Leptogorgia sp. 16 years (cuttings 40+ total years in captivity)
Marsh killifish 4 ½ years
Neon goby 4 ½ years
Flashlight fish 18 years
Ocellaris clownfish 4y 3m
Orbicularis batfish 18 years
Slipper lobster 8 years
Sailfin tang 12 years
Squirrelfish 10 years
Tiger cowry 7 years 3 month
That black tip is impressive.
 

i cant think

Wrasse Addict
View Badges
Joined
Sep 1, 2021
Messages
17,507
Reaction score
33,684
Location
England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Awesome. Any pics?
None recently… here’s one from August 2023, he was just as shocked as I was as I had gone 2-3 months with no sight of him. He’s back to coming out every fortnight now.
1714146873604.jpeg
 

Paul B

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 3, 2010
Messages
18,144
Reaction score
62,100
Location
Long Island NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
This pair of spawning fireclowns are about 33 or 34 years old



These spawning mandarins lived to about 10. The female lived shorter.



These spawning Watchmans lived 10 or 12


This copperband lived 10 years



The Moorish Idol I had for 5 or 6 years.


This guy was 10



One of these Possums is about 9, one is maybe 5



This guy I have no idea when I got him but he is from my last house so I would guess he is about 10



This Janss Pipefish lived 7 years.



This urchin just died at 12



These hermits died a week apart at I think 7 but could be 9 or 10



I also had a Cusk eel for 18 years and killed him by accident.
 

IntrinsicReef

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 22, 2023
Messages
449
Reaction score
1,047
Location
Austin
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a 5 year old snapping shrimp. Not sure how long he's gonna go.
My pistol shrimp lasted a surprisingly long time as well. I'd think he disappeared, then he would wake me up one morning ( tank was in the bedroom then.) I want to say he lasted 8 years or so
 
Last edited:

teaktoc

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 5, 2024
Messages
26
Reaction score
3
Location
Northern CA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
This pair of spawning fireclowns are about 33 or 34 years old



These spawning mandarins lived to about 10. The female lived shorter.



These spawning Watchmans lived 10 or 12


This copperband lived 10 years



The Moorish Idol I had for 5 or 6 years.


This guy was 10



One of these Possums is about 9, one is maybe 5



This guy I have no idea when I got him but he is from my last house so I would guess he is about 10



This Janss Pipefish lived 7 years.



This urchin just died at 12



These hermits died a week apart at I think 7 but could be 9 or 10



I also had a Cusk eel for 18 years and killed him by accident.
wow - 18 yr! and the others - serious care
 

Peter Houde

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 28, 2021
Messages
153
Reaction score
103
Location
New Mexico, USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
All my fish are long lived.
I wish I'd kept record of exactly when I got each and all of my fish, but I'm sure of this much:
yellow-tailed blue damsels 15+ yrs, grew a lot but not to what they're capable of in the wild; eventually all died and replaced, currently 2 breeding pairs 2 just yrs old
two out of 5 ocellaris clowns still alive at least 15-20 yrs, HUGE and mean
regal tang 10-15 (deceased), looked like road kill for its last 5+ years but frolicked like a puppy and was King of the tank
I've had others that were very long lived, but probably not as much as 10 yrs, including:
green mandarin dragonet (I accidentally crushed it moving live rock)
bicolor dottyback maybe
royal gramma maybe
1714206093155.jpeg
 

Townes_Van_Camp

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 14, 2021
Messages
1,970
Reaction score
3,251
Location
Jacksonville, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My pistol shrimp lasted a surprisingly long time as well. I'd think he disappeared, then he would wake me up one morning ( tank was in the bedroom then.) I want to say he lasted 8 years or so
I hope I get to keep mine that long. He's my favorite.
 

Form or function: Do you consider your rock work to be art or the platform for your coral?

  • Primarily art focused.

    Votes: 11 7.1%
  • Primarily a platform for coral.

    Votes: 28 18.1%
  • A bit of each - both art and a platform.

    Votes: 104 67.1%
  • Neither.

    Votes: 7 4.5%
  • Other.

    Votes: 5 3.2%
Back
Top