How Long Do Fish Live? Understanding Aquarium Fish Lifespans

Few reference books answer the common question asked by fish owners: "How long should my fish live?" The answer varies greatly by fish species. In general, smaller fish have shorter lifespans than larger ones, and species that lay eggs tend to live longer than those that give birth to live young.

The two most popular species of aquarium fish—bettas and goldfish—are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Bettas on average live little more than two years, while goldfish may live for decades.

Keep in mind that the care provided to aquarium fish affects the health and lifespan; fish that are not kept in the proper habitat will likely have a shorter lifespan than fish with good water quality, appropriate nutrition and adequate space.

Short Lifespans

Killifish are among the aquarium fish with the shortest lifespan. They generally only live for a bit more than two years. Bettas are not far behind. There have been documented cases of bettas living five years or more, but that is not the norm. Livebearing fish such as guppies, mollies, platys, and swordtails generally live less three to five years.

Long Lifespans

Goldfish are on the other end of the lifespan spectrum. There are many documented cases of goldfish living a quarter of a century. They are perhaps the best example of how poor habitat and care shortens the lifespan of aquarium fish. The majority of goldfish are not properly cared for and as a result, live only a few years. Other fish that live longer include loaches, such as the clown loach and weather loach, which often live 10 to 15 years. Silver dollars and pacus also live 10 years or more, and the ever-popular convict cichlid can live for more than 10 years as well.

The lifespans of common aquarium fish species span a broad gamut, as you can see. Here are typical lifespans of some well-known fish species, from the Adolfo cory to the zebra danio. 

A

• Adolfos cory (Corydoras adolfoi): five years
• Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare): 10+ years
• Apistogramma (Apistogramma cacatuoides): five to 10 years
• Archer fish (Toxotes spp.): five years
• Armored catfish (Corydoras spp., Brochis spp.): seven to 15 years
•  Australian Lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) 80-95 years 
• Axelrod's rainbowfish (Melantaenia herbertaxelrodi ): five years

B

• Bala shark (Balantiocheilos melanopterus): 10 years
• Bandit cory (Corydoras metae): five years
• Banjo catfish (Acanthobunocephalus nicoi): six to 12 years
• Betta (Betta splendens): two to five years
• Black-banded leporinus (Leporinus fasciatus): five-10 years
• Black neon tetra (Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi): five years
• Black phantom tetra (Megalamphodus megalopterus): five years
• Black shark (Labeo chrysophekadion): four to 10 years
• Black widow tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi): five years
• Blackfin cory (Corydoras leucomelas): five-plus years
• Blackskirt tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi): five years
• Bloodfin tetra (Aphyocharax anisitsi): five to eight years
• Blue gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus): four years
• Boeseman's rainbowfish (Melanotaenia boesemani): five years
• Bolivian ram (Mikrogeophagus altispinosus): four years
• Bronze cory (Corydoras aeneus): five years

C-D

• Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi): four years
• Cherry barb (Puntius titteya): five to seven years
• Chocolate gourami (Sphaerichthys osphromenoides): four to six years
• Clown loach (Chromobotia macracanthus): 15+ years
• Columbian tetra (Hyphessobrycon columbianus): five years
• Congo tetra (Phenacogrammus interruptus): five years
• Convict cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata): 10+ years
• Debauwi catfish (Pareutropius debauwi): eight years
• Diamond tetra (Moenkhausia pittier): five years
• Discus (Symphysodon aequifasciata): 10 to 18 years
• Dojo loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus): 10 years
• Dwarf gourami (Colisa lalia): four to six years

F-G

• Festivum cichlid (Mesonauta festivus): 10+ years
• Figure 8 puffer (Tetraodon biocellatus): up to 15 years
• Firemouth cichlid (Thorichthys meeki): 10 to 15 years
• Frontosa cichlid (Cyphotilapia frontosa): eight to 15 years
• Giant danio (Devario aequipinnatus): five to seven years
• Glassfish (Parambassis ranga): eight years
• Glowlight tetra (Hemigrammus erthrozonus): five years
• Gold barb (Puntius semifasciolatus): five to seven years
• Goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus): 10 to 30+ years
• Guppy (Poecilia reticulata): three to five years

H-K

• Harlequin rasbora (Trigonostigma heteromorpha): six years
• Hatchetfish (Gasteropelecus sternicla)): five years
• Hognose brochis (Brochis multiradiatus): 10 years
• Honey gourami (Colisa chuna, Colisa sota): four to eight years
• Jack Dempsey cichlid (Rocio octofasciata): 10 to 18 years
• Jordan's Catfish (Arius seemani): 10+ years
• Killifish (Fundulopanchax  spp.): two to three years
• Kissing gourami (Helostoma temmincki): five to eight years
• Koi (Cyprinus rubrofuscus) 60 years
• Kribensis cichlid (Pelvicachromis pulcher): five years

L

• Lake Kutubu rainbowfish (Melanotaenia lacustris): five years
• Lake Madagascar rainbowfish (Bedotia geayi ): five years
• Lake Wanam rainbowfish (Glossolepis wanamensis): five years
• Lemon cichlid (Neolamprologus leleupi): eight years
• Lemon tetra (Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis): five years
• Leopard danio (Danio frankei): three to five years
• Leporinus (Leporinus sp.): five-plus years
• Livingstoni cichlid (Nimbochromis livingstonii): 10+ years

M-O

• Marigold swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri): four years
• Midas cichlid (Amphilophus citrinellus): ten to 15 years
• Molly (Poecilia latipinna): four to five years
• Moonlight gourami (Trichogaster microlepis): four years
• Neon rainbowfish (Melanotaenia praecox): three to four years
• Neon tetra (Paracheirodon innesi ): five to 10 years
• Oscar cichlid (Astronotus ocellatus): 10 to 18 years
• Otocinclus (Otocinculus sp.): five years

P

• Pacu (Colossoma sp.): 20-40 years
• Pearl danio (Danio albolineatus): five years
• Pearl gourami (Trichogaster leeri): four to eight years
• Pictus catfish (Pimelodus pictus): eight years
• Piranha (Serrasalmus piraya): 10 years
• Platy (Xiphorphorus maculatus): three to five years
• Plecostomus (Hypostomus plecostomus): seven to 15 years
• Powder blue gourami (Colisa lalia): four years

R

• Rafael catfish (Platydoras costatus): seven to 15 years
• Rainbow shark (Epalzeorhynchos frenatum): four to 10 years
• Ram cichlid (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi): four years
• Rasbora (Trigonostigma heteromorpha): five to 10 years
• Red bellied piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri): 10 years
• Red eye tetra (Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae): five years
• Red fin shark (Epalzeorhynchos frenatum): eight years
• Red hook silver dollar (Metynnis argenteus): 10+ years
• Red rainbowfish (Glossolepis incisus): five years
• Red-tailed catfish (Phractocephalus hemioliopterus): 15 years
• Red tuxedo platy (Xiphophorus maculatus): four years
• Red wagtail platy (Xiphophorus maculatus): four years
• Rosy barb (Puntius conchonius): five years
• Royal pleco (Panaque nigrolineatus): 10+ years
• Rummy nose tetra (Hemigrammus rhodostomus): five to seven years

S-U

• Sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna): three to five years
• Serpae Tetra (Hyphessobrycon eques) five to seven years
• Severum cichlid (Heros efasciatus): 10+ years
• Silver pacu (Colossoma brachypomus): 20 years
• Silvertip tetra (Hasemania nana): five years
• Swordtail (Xiphorphorus hellerii): three to five years
• Texas cichlid (Herichthys cyanoguttatus): 10+ years
• Tiger barb (Puntius tetrazona): six years
• Tinfoil barb (Barbonymus schwanenfeldii): 10 years
• Upside-down catfish (Synodontis nigriventris): five to 10 years

W-Z

• Weather loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus): 10 years
• Whiptail catfish(Rineloricaria fallax): 10 years
• White cloud mountain minnow (Tanichthys albonubes): five to seven years
• Yellow tetra (Hyphessobrycon bifasciatus): five years
• Zebra cichlid (Metriaclima callainos): 10+ years
• Zebra danio (Danio rerio): five years