Methuselah is one of the fascinating creations of nature. Nature has always presented us with the most unexpected of things. We have come across numerous accounts where people have encountered the prettiest sightings at the most unexpected places.
A barren, monotonous forest can suddenly lead to the prettiest waterfalls. There are real-world accounts of such marvels of nature.
A couple of such marvels are the Rainbow Eucalyptus and Pink Lake. Rainbow eucalyptuses exhibit a fantastic display of colors on their branch that makes them look majestic. The pink lake in Australia gets its name from the pink color of the water.
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This is also a very popular tourist spot and a photographer’s paradise. Apart from these, nature also creates its marvels in the form of animals. One such wonders of nature are the Methuselah- the longest-living aquarium fish.
The fish derives its name from ancient Biblical references. The name of Noah’s grandfather was Methuselah. It is stated in the Bible that he was alive for Nine hundred and sixty years old. The fish does not quite live that much longer but due to its fascinating lifespan, scientists have come up with that name for the fish.
Scientists and biologists have done extensive research about the fish. During the course of their research, the scientists found a staggering truth. The fish can live up to ninety years inside an aquarium and even more!
The fish is believed to be of primitive origin. Scientists believe the Australian Lungfish is the result of evolution. The evolution of fish towards amphibians created such a mind-boggling creature.
Let us learn more about the story in detail below.
Methuselah Is One Of The Oldest Living Fish
The discovery of Methuselah has created ripples all around the world. People are left awestruck at how they can live for so long. Let us find out a little more details about the fish below. The fish is commonly known as the Australian lungfish.
It is usually a creature that is four feet in height. The weight of the fish is roughly around forty pounds. The fish was initially brought to the museum of San Francisco in the year 1938.
It traveled all the way from Australia to the United States. The news about the fish was first published by the San Francisco Chronicle. In the year 1947, the media house covered a full-fledged story about the fish. They referred to the appearance of the fish as that of fresh artichokes.
The article stated that this creature was the probable missing link between amphibians and fishes. The oldest Methuselah alive was kept at the Shedd Aquarium of Chicago. The workers lovingly called the creature ‘Granddad’.
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Unfortunately, the fish died recently and broke many hearts. At the time of its demise, the Australian lungfish was ninety-five years old.
Methuselah Loves Being Pampered
Methuselah might live for a significantly long amount of time. However, they are very much addicted to affection just like any other animal.
As per the analysis of biologists, lungfishes like to be petted by humans. Methuselah is very much fond of belly rubs. The fish that stays in California is being closely examined by Allan Jan.
Jan is the head biologist at the center and also looks after the lungfish. Jan stated that there was no way one could determine the gender of the fish. This was because it would involve a great amount of risk trying to extract a blood sample.
However, Jan has planned to send a sample of its fin to determine the gender. Speaking about the fish, Jan elaborated that it acts as a sweet pup underwater.
However, if a Methuselah gets scared it has a sudden spurt of energy that might be dangerous.