[Generalee]

My wife asked me this question the other night. I stared back at her and said, as long as I have money for them. I don't think she liked my answer. So tell me how long your fish have lived or are supposed to live.
Clownfish
Yellow Tang
Bi-color Blenny
Cleaner Shrimp

I assume corals will go on as long as water conditions are perfect.

[SomeHairyOldGuy]

I do know that marine fish have longer lives then fresh water. I have a Coral Beauty, Blue Devel and Convict Damsel and Diadema Dottyback all of which have been in my tank for almost 3 years now. The life span of coral is longer. Corals will just keep growing growing growing...You get the picture.
SHOG

[Bughead]

In Joyce Wilkerson's book "Clownfishes", she has a breeding pair of maroons, the female was 12 years old when the pair began tending eggs. Apparently healthy captive clownfish can go 15 or 20 years. Other captive saltwater fish probably have a potentially long life span. I've heard of people owning certain fish 12 or 15 years.

The blennies and gobies have a shorter life span. They do in my tank, anyway. Bob Fenner says the neon gobie only lives little more than a year. He says that's not a big deal because they are so easily tank bred.

Shrimps, I have no idea. I would imagine they reach maximum growth, stay that way awhile, 6 months to several years, then pre-programed cells take over and the body begins to break down.

Like you said, corals live on indeffinately. Not really, since they keep reproducing themselves, but in our tanks we can consider that the case.

[traveller7]

I have an A. Ocellaris that I apparently sold to a customer in 1992 and I bought back in 1997. She still seems to be going strong in my main display tank. I still need to find her little friend

[Ninong]

The record for the longest lifespan in captivity for any fish is one of the imperial koi kept by the emperors of Japan: 217 years!!!

Most koi can easily make it to 40 - 60 years old in captivity if kept in an ideal environment. Goldfish can make it to 25 - 40 years old under ideal conditions.

Lifespans in the wild for fish vary from 1 year for the smallest gobies to 50+ years for some of the largest groupers. I won't get into whales because they're mammals and we all know that turtles (reptiles) can live a very long time.

It is difficult to say how old any species can get in home aquariums because prior to about 12 - 15 years ago the available technology was rather primitive. But we do have records from some of the older public aquariums that have been using natural seawater and they give us a pretty good idea of what to aim for. The Monaco aquarium has records of several fish living into their mid-20's.

As far as how old tangs and clownfish can get in home aquariums, I can only tell you what I have read on some of the various boards, including Reefland. Between Reefland and Reef Central, we have members who have posted that they have Flame Angels that are more than 11 years old, Yellow Tangs that are more than 12 years old, Clownfish that are more than 14 years old, etc.

Joyce Wilkerson estimates that most clownfish in the wild could survive for 20 years, possibly more. I think a good estimate for a home aquarium would be mid-teens for most of the clownfish, tangs and angelfish.

I couldn't find anything definite on the cleaner shrimp for you but my personal guess is that three years would be pretty good.

[kevinpo]

My clowns will be 7 in Feb. I think 12-15 years can be expected.
I have kept peppermint and skunk cleaner shrimp 3 - 3.5 years. None longer.
Some public aquariums have kept angels 25 years.

Regards,
Kevin

[Minh Nguyen]

I read somewhere that a reefer had aMajestic angel for 20 years. aA well know reefer have a tomato clown fish for 18 years (two years ago) My oldest fish is a Marine Betta that is at least 6 year old.

[organicreefer]

i read that tangs can live anywhere from 35-50+ years in the wild-and i was quite shocked that it was soo long.

[Northman_with_reef]

Rudi Lowak has an 18 year old Olive tang...