Only photo of the oldest fish ever, Hanako, a koi fish who died at the age of 226
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
| Cookie | Duration | Description |
|---|---|---|
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional | 11 months | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-others | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". |
| viewed_cookie_policy | 11 months | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |
In 1966, two of her scales were removed and extensively studied to determine her age. She was the longest living koi fish (c. 1751 – 7 July 1977.)
Sad she did not live longer, Michael just could not watch where he was going *sighhh*
That fish have seen some serious shit
There are Greenland sharks that are like 300 years old, so this is wrong
Jeez imagine spending 226 years looking at the sides of a pond
But.. but.. but there are TWO photo’s here…. 😉
Took a while, but he finally got tired of our shit.
Greenland Sharks live longer than that. This must mean longest lived captive fish.
“Only photo” posts 2 photos
NOT the oldest fish ever.Not even close.
How do you know how old a fish is???
Greenland Shark slowly and blindly enters the chat….
I hate to say it but… even if 226 is a super impressively long life, it wouldn’t make Hanako the oldest fish ever.
[Greenland Sharks](https://a-z-animals.com/animals/greenland-shark/) have been recorded as living longer, with the oldest confirmed on record being 392 years, and estimates saying they could live upwards of 500 years
According to [Snopes](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/worlds-oldest-fish-hanako/):
> Unrpoven
> …there is no official historical record or scientific evidence to confirm the fish’s supposed age — even National Geographic noted that Hanako’s long-lived tale could “just be a legend.”
> ..Hanako’s impressive age was reportedly determined by Masayoshi Hiro, a former professor at the Laboratory of Animal Science at the Nagoya Women’s University, who supposedly calculated the fish’s age by analyzing its scales. (However, if the research was conducted, it was not published in a scientific journal. Snopes dug through journal entries dating back to 1966 and did not find a published, peer-reviewed study under Hiro’s name describing Hanako’s age.)
> Hanako’s species is not known, but it is likely one of two main types of koi fish described by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Cyprinus rubrofuscus, which is commonly confused with common carp, or Cyprinus carpio, the latter often referred to as ornamental koi that have been specially bred from domesticated carp. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, koi, in general, are long-lived and have a typical lifespan of around 40 years. And the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute appeared to validate Hanako’s age when it reported that the oldest-known koi lived to be nearly 230 years old. Though the institution did not list Hanako’s name specifically, it said that the “age was determined by testing the fish’s scales, which produce growth rings much like a tree.”
> Wide growth rings called annuli can be counted to determine a fish’s age through its scales, according to Michigan State University. But Dave Catania, senior collections manager of ichthyology at the California Academy of Science, told Snopes that the supposed 226-year lifespan was “a bit of a stretch.”
> “It turns out that using scales is the least accurate method of aging carp. Extracting otoliths after Hanako’s death would have provided a much more precise figure,” said Catania.
> A 2018 study published in Review in Fish Biology and Fisheries evaluated different methodologies for dating a fish, noting that scales were by far the most widely used dating method historically speaking, however, the method produced inconsistent evidence when compared to dating the otoliths (ear bones), dorsal spines, vertebrae, and fin rays.
> “It is suggested that dorsal spines or pectoral fin rays should be used in lieu of scales as non-lethal aging structures, and otoliths. Otherwise, and that validation should always be attempted as part of the set-up of more appropriate aging protocols and use of correct terminology,” wrote the study authors.
> As such, it is more likely the case that the determination of Hanako’s credulity-challenging age was the result of an inaccurate analysis that was not peer-reviewed or validated by another party. We rate this claim “Unproven.”
Edit: Also, [here](https://i.imgur.com/28vh2MF.jpg) is another picture of Hanako taken by [Dr. Komei Koshihara on August 14, 1974](https://www.fishlaboratory.com/fish/koi-hanako-longest-living-fish-ever/).
When it becomes a family tradition to replace the goldfish in secret so as to not upset the kids.
My koi are in mourning. I hated to break the news to them .
Died via trampling from a certain Regional Manager..
Oldest *koi* ever. We have photos of sharks that are over a hundred years old.
[400 year old Greenland shark](https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-37047168)
*oldest *known/documented* fish, at best
Man he must have been bored after all that time
Still waiting at embers probably…
It’s a shame they had to cut open this fish to count the rings.
Ol’ Koi was living the good life.
not oldest fish *ever*
Damn. My record for them fancy gold fish is a week or two.
So mind how sometimes parents buy a new goldfish and pretend the other one didn’t die?
There are Greenland sharks that have been alive since Napoleon was doing Napoleon stuff. Oldest boney fish maybe, but not fish as a whole.
Years!?
A photo of two different photos is the only photo of this fish in the photo(s).
She’s probably in mikoshi now
Makes sense, it takes about that much time to meet her at chambers.
RIP Hanako.
I see two photos 🫣
I ate a fish the other day that tasted at least 227
False.
“Ever”
Oldest known fish.
You don’t know the oceans don’t do this on a regular basis
She’s been waiting at Ember’s for so long…