This lungfish is the oldest on the planet and has been living since 1938 (it was brought from Australia) in an aquarium in San Francisco (United States). Since then, its habitat has been the Steinhard Aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences.
Although it is not almost 1,000 years old like the biblical Methuselah, it is, according to experts, around 90 years old. The Methuselah fish is 1.2 meters long and weighs 18.1 kilograms and, according to its keepers, enjoys eating fresh figs.
It is a famous fish since, due to its longevity, it has appeared in the media on more than one occasion. In fact, there is a diary reference to him in The San Francisco Chronicles in 1947 that reads as follows: “These strange creatures, with green scales that look like fresh artichoke leaves, are known to scientists as a possible ‘link lost’ among terrestrial and aquatic animals”.
This species of lungfish ( Dipnoi ) is a species threatened with extinction. It is considered a living fossil, since its closest relatives became extinct many millions of years ago.
Is there no other living being with that name?
Indeed, Methuselah is also the nickname given to the oldest tree in the world. It is an almost immortal tree: it is estimated to be 4,850 years old and is a long-lived pine ( Pinus longaeva ) found in the Inyo National Forest in California (USA). The exact location of this crooked pine, which appears more dead than alive, is unknown in order to protect its integrity, as the US government feared that Methuselah would be felled or damaged by humans.
Referencia: California Academy of Sciences / USDA US Department of Agriculture
