"Annual" and "perrenial" fishes

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yehoshua

AC Members
Jul 11, 2005
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Israel
Hi. Much the same as with ornamental plants, there are short-lived fishes and long-lived species. It depends on the type, adaptability and breeding. I hold, for example, that bettas and live-bearers are naturally short-lived (18 months) and things are made worse by bad in- breeding. Same goes for many gorameis and small tetras. And you SEE them age and deteriorate. (ragged fins, eye-fogginess, tumors, arched backs). For whatever reason.
On the other hand, Plecostamous types, labeos, flying foxes, Corydoras aneus, loaches and rainbow fishes are extremely long-lived and you don't see the aging symptoms-- and I like that. Black-skirt tetras and Cherry barbs are pretty nice in this respect also. They tend to look good (except for egg-bound swollen females) for 3 years, with me.
What are YOUR findings and observations? What fish are annual for you and which hang in there year after year?
 
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yehoshua said:
that bettas and live-bearers are naturally short-lived (18 months
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I have a 4 year old betta a live and well right now and also have some 2 year old platy's. These fish are not annual fish. You are right in your assumtions of annual fish though. The only common ones that I can think of off hand are some of the killies. They live in pools and ponds that dry up in the summer months so they are only alive about half the year. They eggs they lay settle in the mud in the bottom of the pond and the next year when the rainy season returns the eggs hatch and start a new generation of killies. They do live longer in capitvity but not to much longer maybe a year or more.
 
I don't know that I like the terms 'annual and perenial' when referring to fish.

Lifespan might be a more appropriate term.

in general the smaller fishes tend to live shorter lives(not true in all cases)
but I believe that the habitat may have a larger influence on the mortaility of fish species.

many small fishes have projected lives of 5-10 years(neons, black neons etc) most species should give you a few years to enjoy them. some just give you a bit more.

(your mileage may vary)...disclaimer :rolleyes: :)
 
Yes, I agree w/ PP that I don't like the terms annual and perennial either. 'Annual' suggests that they're disposable and that when symptoms like foggy eyes or ragged fins appear towards the 18 month mark, that you'd just assume it's due to old age and not other factors so no remedial care would likely be given, not that I'm saying you would do this. Lifespan would be a better term.
 
Well, you're all right: I actually mean short- lived (somewhat annual at that) and long-lived. I also had a platy for more than 2 years, and an odd glowlite for several years. But these are exceptions and most Bettas won't last TOO long. On the other hand there are species which keep opn keeping on. I'd imagine certainly anong the cichlids. Blue gourmeis often stay with me a few years, untill they get some tumor or start to fade away, somehow. Pearls: sometimes die very quickly, but usually stay with me for 2 years. Dwarf gourmeis: no chance! Banjo catfish, Gold nugget plecos-- for 5 years already!
 
Well, my sister and I have both kept bettas from 3 to 5 years. My three dwarf blue gourami lived just a few months before developing strange non-dropsy swelling--much like tumors. Maybe it's just a crapshoot for these smaller fishes. I certainly expect my Severum to live years without me doing anything stupid!!! :rolleyes:
 
yehoshua said:
I hold, for example, that bettas and live-bearers are naturally short-lived (18 months) and things are made worse by bad in- breeding.
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Betta Lifespan: 3-5 years on average. Longest recorded age was over 8. In-breeding likely reduced the lifespan from wild counterparts, but their lifespan has been pretty steady now for quite some time. Most of the short-lived problem comes from conditions in which pet store bettas are subjected to. Bettas from breeder strains routinely live 3+ years when kept accordingly.
 
I wonder if some fish have trouble bouncing back from bad conditions, which would shorten their lives even if conditions improved later. I know this is true for some plants. I worked in a greenhouse, and learned that if tomato seedlings got cold they would grow up to produce healthy-looking plants, but would never actually produce a tomato.

Liver damage would be the most likely possibility. Even if your conditions are good, the process of shipping and storage on the way to the LFS may have caused a problem. Maybe some fish are sensitive to chemicals used in shipping. Some commercial breeders use hormones to breed greater quantities of fish, and that might change their lifespan. So we might be looking at something similar to a crack baby, or fetal alcohol syndrome.

I've got some platies that I bred myself that are going on the 3-year mark. They're huge- almost 3" long and look like blimps. They don't look like old near-the-end fish. Their eyes are clear, etc. I've also got some neons, black neons, and glow lights that are several years old and don't look bad.

The majority of killifish aren't annuals, but tend to be short-lived fish anyway. That's why most killi keepers breed their fish. They also try to avoid high temps for a lot of the species, since this shortens their lifespan.
 
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