Is It True That ‘Hanako’ Is The World’s Oldest Fish At 226 Years Old?
No, Hanako did not live to be 226 years old. Hanako was a female koi fish that lived in the Japan town of Hattori and was believed to be the oldest known koi fish in the world. Born in 1751 and died in 1977, Hanako was owned by the same family for all of her life. Her age was determined by her size, which exceeded that of all other koi fish of the same species. Although Hanako was believed to be 226 years old, the accuracy of her age has been challenged by some experts who believe that the fish was much younger than the claimed age.
Some skeptics have argued that the fish was likely closer to 50 years old when she died. The debate over Hanako’s age is likely to continue since the fish was never accurately measured or weighed. Some experts have suggested that Hanako may have been overfed, resulting in her larger size and potentially enhancing her lifespan. Hanako’s age is an impressive feat for any fish, regardless of the actual number of years lived.