MUSEUM CAMPUS — Shedd Aquarium on Sunday put down "Granddad," an Australian lungfish that had been swimming at the aquarium since 1933.
Shedd officials say Granddad, who was estimated to be at least 86 years old, was the oldest living fish in any public aquarium. The aquarium at 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive said it euthanized Granddad due to "a rapid decline in quality of life associated with old age." He hadn't been moving much recently, lost his appetite, and was showing signs of organ failure, said Nicole Minadeo, a Shedd spokeswoman.
Granddad arrived to the Shedd back in 1933, when Franklin Roosevelt was president and before televisions were widely sold to the public. The Shedd believes 104 million people saw Granddad during his eight decades living in the aquarium.
“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," Bridget Coughlin, president and CEO of the Shedd, said in a statement.
Granddad circa 1933 or 1934 at the Shedd. [Shedd Aquarium]
Granddad was one of two lungfishes retrieved from the Taronga Zoo and Aquarium in Sydney for the Century of Progress International Exposition in Chicago. At the time, the lungfishes were the only two on display in the United States.
Lungfishes have existed for 380 million years, and the Shedd refers to the species as "living fossils." Lungfishes can live up to 100 years and are considered a protected species in their native Australia.
Native to the Mary and Burnett rivers in Queensland, Australia, lungfishes are one of the few types of fish that breathe air. Lungfishes have a single primitive lung as well as gills, allowing them to survive seasonal fluctuations in their shallow water habitats by noisily gulping air at the surface every 30 to 60 minutes, Minadeo said.
Granddad's favorite food was worms, but for his 80th anniversary at the Shedd in 2013, handlers made him a layered cake with smelt, shrimp, and other food. Roger Price, the Australian Consul-General at the time, made an appearance.
“Granddad lived a pretty relaxed life, enjoyed interactions with us, including gentle pats along his back, and loved to eat his leafy greens," Michelle Sattler, collections manager at the Shedd, said in a statement. "He would become quite animated on what became Earthworm Wednesdays, when they were dropped into his habitat — animated for a very slow-moving fish. We loved him. And he will be sorely missed.”
The Shedd, which opened in 1930, has conducted a necropsy, or fish autopsy, on Granddad and its full results should be released soon, the aquarium said.
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