How Long Do Fish Live? Understanding Aquarium Fish Lifespans

Few reference books reply the frequent query requested by fish homeowners: “How lengthy ought to my fish reside?” The reply varies drastically by fish species. Generally, smaller fish have shorter lifespans than bigger ones, and species that lay eggs are likely to reside longer than those who give beginning to reside younger.

The 2 hottest species of aquarium fish—bettas and goldfish—are at reverse ends of the spectrum. Bettas on common reside little greater than two years, whereas goldfish might reside for many years.

Needless to say the care offered to aquarium fish impacts the well being and lifespan; fish that aren’t saved within the correct habitat will doubtless have a shorter lifespan than fish with good water high quality, applicable diet and sufficient area.

Brief Lifespans

Killifish are among the many aquarium fish with the shortest lifespan. They typically solely reside for a bit greater than two years. Bettas usually are not far behind. There have been documented instances of bettas dwelling 5 years or extra, however that isn’t the norm. Livebearing fish reminiscent of guppies, mollies, platys, and swordtails usually reside much less three to 5 years.

Lengthy Lifespans

Goldfish are on the opposite finish of the lifespan spectrum. There are various documented instances of goldfish dwelling 1 / 4 of a century. They’re maybe the very best instance of how poor habitat and care shortens the lifespan of aquarium fish. Nearly all of goldfish usually are not correctly cared for and because of this, reside only some years. Different fish that reside longer embrace loaches, such because the clown loach and climate loach, which regularly reside 10 to fifteen years. Silver {dollars} and pacus additionally reside 10 years or extra, and the ever-popular convict cichlid can reside for greater than 10 years as effectively.

The lifespans of frequent aquarium fish species span a broad gamut, as you possibly can see. Listed here are typical lifespans of some well-known fish species, from the Adolfo cory to the zebra danio. 

A

• Adolfos cory (Corydoras adolfoi): 5 years
• Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare): 10+ years
• Apistogramma (Apistogramma cacatuoides): 5 to 10 years
• Archer fish (Toxotes spp.): 5 years
• Armored catfish (Corydoras spp., Brochis spp.): seven to fifteen years
•  Australian Lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) 80-95 years 
• Axelrod’s rainbowfish (Melantaenia herbertaxelrodi ): 5 years

B

• Bala shark (Balantiocheilos melanopterus): 10 years
• Bandit cory (Corydoras metae): 5 years
• Banjo catfish (Acanthobunocephalus nicoi): six to 12 years
• Betta (Betta splendens): two to 5 years
• Black-banded leporinus (Leporinus fasciatus): five-10 years
• Black neon tetra (Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi): 5 years
• Black phantom tetra (Megalamphodus megalopterus): 5 years
• Black shark (Labeo chrysophekadion): 4 to 10 years
• Black widow tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi): 5 years
• Blackfin cory (Corydoras leucomelas): five-plus years
• Blackskirt tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi): 5 years
• Bloodfin tetra (Aphyocharax anisitsi): 5 to eight years
• Blue gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus): 4 years
• Boeseman’s rainbowfish (Melanotaenia boesemani): 5 years
• Bolivian ram (Mikrogeophagus altispinosus): 4 years
• Bronze cory (Corydoras aeneus): 5 years

C-D

• Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi): 4 years
• Cherry barb (Puntius titteya): 5 to seven years
• Chocolate gourami (Sphaerichthys osphromenoides): 4 to 6 years
• Clown loach (Chromobotia macracanthus): 15+ years
• Columbian tetra (Hyphessobrycon columbianus): 5 years
• Congo tetra (Phenacogrammus interruptus): 5 years
• Convict cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata): 10+ years
• Debauwi catfish (Pareutropius debauwi): eight years
• Diamond tetra (Moenkhausia pittier): 5 years
• Discus (Symphysodon aequifasciata): 10 to 18 years
• Dojo loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus): 10 years
• Dwarf gourami (Colisa lalia): 4 to 6 years

F-G

• Festivum cichlid (Mesonauta festivus): 10+ years
• Determine 8 puffer (Tetraodon biocellatus): as much as 15 years
• Firemouth cichlid (Thorichthys meeki): 10 to fifteen years
• Frontosa cichlid (Cyphotilapia frontosa): eight to fifteen years
• Large danio (Devario aequipinnatus): 5 to seven years
• Glassfish (Parambassis ranga): eight years
• Glowlight tetra (Hemigrammus erthrozonus): 5 years
• Gold barb (Puntius semifasciolatus): 5 to seven years
• Goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus): 10 to 30+ years
• Guppy (Poecilia reticulata): three to 5 years

H-Okay

• Harlequin rasbora (Trigonostigma heteromorpha): six years
• Hatchetfish (Gasteropelecus sternicla)): 5 years
• Hognose brochis (Brochis multiradiatus): 10 years
• Honey gourami (Colisa chuna, Colisa sota): 4 to eight years
• Jack Dempsey cichlid (Rocio octofasciata): 10 to 18 years
• Jordan’s Catfish (Arius seemani): 10+ years
• Killifish (Fundulopanchax  spp.): two to 3 years
• Kissing gourami (Helostoma temmincki): 5 to eight years
• Koi (Cyprinus rubrofuscus) 60 years
• Kribensis cichlid (Pelvicachromis pulcher): 5 years

L

• Lake Kutubu rainbowfish (Melanotaenia lacustris): 5 years
• Lake Madagascar rainbowfish (Bedotia geayi ): 5 years
• Lake Wanam rainbowfish (Glossolepis wanamensis): 5 years
• Lemon cichlid (Neolamprologus leleupi): eight years
• Lemon tetra (Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis): 5 years
• Leopard danio (Danio frankei): three to 5 years
• Leporinus (Leporinus sp.): five-plus years
• Livingstoni cichlid (Nimbochromis livingstonii): 10+ years

M-O

• Marigold swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri): 4 years
• Midas cichlid (Amphilophus citrinellus): ten to fifteen years
• Molly (Poecilia latipinna): 4 to 5 years
• Moonlight gourami (Trichogaster microlepis): 4 years
• Neon rainbowfish (Melanotaenia praecox): three to 4 years
• Neon tetra (Paracheirodon innesi ): 5 to 10 years
• Oscar cichlid (Astronotus ocellatus): 10 to 18 years
• Otocinclus (Otocinculus sp.): 5 years

P

• Pacu (Colossoma sp.): 20-40 years
• Pearl danio (Danio albolineatus): 5 years
• Pearl gourami (Trichogaster leeri): 4 to eight years
• Pictus catfish (Pimelodus pictus): eight years
• Piranha (Serrasalmus piraya): 10 years
• Platy (Xiphorphorus maculatus): three to 5 years
• Plecostomus (Hypostomus plecostomus): seven to fifteen years
• Powder blue gourami (Colisa lalia): 4 years

R

• Rafael catfish (Platydoras costatus): seven to fifteen years
• Rainbow shark (Epalzeorhynchos frenatum): 4 to 10 years
• Ram cichlid (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi): 4 years
• Rasbora (Trigonostigma heteromorpha): 5 to 10 years
• Purple bellied piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri): 10 years
• Purple eye tetra (Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae): 5 years
• Purple fin shark (Epalzeorhynchos frenatum): eight years
• Purple hook silver greenback (Metynnis argenteus): 10+ years
• Purple rainbowfish (Glossolepis incisus): 5 years
• Purple-tailed catfish (Phractocephalus hemioliopterus): 15 years
• Purple tuxedo platy (Xiphophorus maculatus): 4 years
• Purple wagtail platy (Xiphophorus maculatus): 4 years
• Rosy barb (Puntius conchonius): 5 years
• Royal pleco (Panaque nigrolineatus): 10+ years
• Rummy nostril tetra (Hemigrammus rhodostomus): 5 to seven years

S-U

• Sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna): three to 5 years
• Serpae Tetra (Hyphessobrycon eques) 5 to seven years
• Severum cichlid (Heros efasciatus): 10+ years
• Silver pacu (Colossoma brachypomus): 20 years
• Silvertip tetra (Hasemania nana): 5 years
• Swordtail (Xiphorphorus hellerii): three to 5 years
• Texas cichlid (Herichthys cyanoguttatus): 10+ years
• Tiger barb (Puntius tetrazona): six years
• Tinfoil barb (Barbonymus schwanenfeldii): 10 years
• Upside-down catfish (Synodontis nigriventris): 5 to 10 years

W-Z

• Climate loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus): 10 years
• Whiptail catfish(Rineloricaria fallax): 10 years
• White cloud mountain minnow (Tanichthys albonubes): 5 to seven years
• Yellow tetra (Hyphessobrycon bifasciatus): 5 years
• Zebra cichlid (Metriaclima callainos): 10+ years
• Zebra danio (Danio rerio): 5 years