Shedd Aquarium Puts Down 90 Year-Old Lungfish

Shedd Aquarium
image: wikicommons

When I got home from work yesterday, I had an e-mail from my friend (and fellow BoardingArea blogger) Rene who writes the blog Rene’s Points.

The e-mail was a link to a news article which shared some sad news that took place at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium.

It turns out that the Shedd Aquarium has been the home to a lungfish who’s over 90 years old! The fish, named Granddad has spent over 80 years of his life at the aquarium in Chicago.

Granddad “had stopped eating and started showing signs of organ failure,” according to WSBT.com. Due to his poor physical condition, the aquarium decided to euthanize the old guy over the weekend.

There’s an interesting story as to how Granddad ended up at the Shedd Aquarium.

He was acquired in 1933 from Australia’s Sydney Aquarium during a “collecting expedition“. There was no mention of what price was paid for Granddad. I’m curious to find out if he was bought or traded for etc. (Do aquariums even make trades?)

The article mentions how lungfish could live up to 100 years.

Granddad was put down “with an overdose quantity of anesthetic that was added to his tank“.

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