Methuselah, an Australian lungfish and the world’s oldest fish in captivity has just turned ninety.  She has lived at the California Academy of Sciences since 1938.

Similar to mudskippers, lungfish have gills that extract oxygen from water, but they can also breathe air, making their ancestors some of the first critters ever to walk on land.  However, unlike mudskippers, lungfish tend to spend a larger proportion of their time in the water than out, which, from a mudskipper’s perspective, makes them something of a provincial country cousin.

However, what Methuselah might lack in pioneering ambition, she makes up for in pure bulk, measuring 4-foot long, and weighing in at a very hefty 40lbs.

From one amphibious fish to another, I wish Methuselah all the best for the next ninety.

© The Mudskipper