Granddad, the Shedd Aquarium Australian lungfish that was the oldest zoo animal in Chicago and the longest lived aquarium fish in the world, died Sunday, the aquarium announced Monday.
The representative of a prehistoric species had been at Shedd since three years after it opened in 1930 and was believed to be at least 7 or 8 when it arrived.
He lost interest in his food in the past week, the aquarium said, and began to show signs of organ failure. Shedd veterinary health specialists made the decision to euthanize him for humane reasons.
“For a fish who spent much of his time imitating a fallen log, he sparked curiosity, excitement and wonder among guests of all ages who would hear his story and learn about the incredible biology that makes his species a living fossil and one of the oldest living vertebrate genera on the planet,” said President and CEO Bridget Coughlin, Ph.D., in a statement.
Granddad, an Australian lungfish in 1982, was one of two lungfishes acquired from the Taronga Zoo and Aquarium in Sydney, Australia during Shedd’s 1933 Pacific collecting expedition with the purpose of attracting some of the 10 million visitors expected to attend A Century of Progress International Exposition. Grandad was humanely euthanized Sunday due to a rapid decline in quality of life associated with old age. Patrice Ceisel / Shedd Aquaruim
Granddad, an Australian lungfish in 1982, was one of two lungfishes acquired from the Taronga Zoo and Aquarium in Sydney, Australia during Shedd’s 1933 Pacific collecting expedition with the purpose of attracting some of the 10 million visitors expected to attend A Century of Progress International Exposition. Grandad was humanely euthanized Sunday due to a rapid decline in quality of life associated with old age. Patrice Ceisel / Shedd Aquaruim
The Shedd estimated that 104 million guests had seen the slow moving fish during his lifetime in Chicago.
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