How Long Do Tangs Live?

[postie]

Anyone know the lifespan of tangs in general? Mine is a hippo, but I would think tangs would have some type of average lifespan in the home aquarium....just wondering what to expect...mine is now 7.

 

[leftovers]

long time....several i know of are 14 years and still going...(Hippo) and several vlamingis are also that old and going strong....you have many many years if they are fed well and tank is maintained for them to live

 

[wade1]

As a more general response to the longevity of fish... fish do not age like mammals do. They do not senesce (meaning they don't stop growing or show signs of age per se). A second note on the subject... fish never really stop growing. Thats why if a fish has a damaged eye, it will eventually heal and recover that eye (unlike mammals). I have known some clownfish to survive for 30+ years (seen them personally even) under good conditions.

I would imagine a tang is much the same way if given good conditions and space to breath.

 

[leftovers]

As a follow up to wade's comments there has been research conducted on some Tangs that suggests they can live up to and even beyond 40 years in the wild. This research is based on otoliths collected and studied.

otoliths have growth rings and are like tree rings and are used to age fish.

 

[Anonymous]

My regal tang is coming on her 4th year in captivity in my tank. Hope to have her around for a long long time still.

 

[Anonymous]

40 years?? Dang!

 

[Anonymous]

You think that is old check this centurian out.

The oldest animal in any zoo or aquarium in the world is the 100-year-old Australian lungfish at the Shedd. Then there’s Bubba, the 150-pound Queensland Grouper cancer survivor who arrived at the Shedd in 1987 when someone dropped him off in a bucket at the door with a note that he was growing too large for their home aquarium.

http://www.qctimes.com/internal.php?sto ... 52,1045768