Jan responds:
My impression is that for smaller fishes - longevity in an aquarium can be
2-3 X lifespan in nature. I have kept several species that lived 4-5 years
in an aquarium, but only 2-3 years in the wild. A coastal shiner from
Florida lived almost 3 years in my 10-gallon tank but in the Hillsboroiugh
River would have been an annual. I have some Topkea shiners that are now 6
years old but most live only two years in their native streams.
This is one area where NANFA members could really contribute to fish biology
since most biologists do not have the time or facilities to maintain
individuals or cohorts for an indefinite period of time. It necessitates
careful record-keeping and special handling of captive fishes, though (i.e.,
minimal mixing with other conspecifics).
I started keeping a native fish aquarium notebook in 1999. I wish I would
have started sooner. Its taught me a lot about longevity, handling-related
mortality, behavior, etc.
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