How old is a fish?

I'm curious, when would you consider a fish "born". Meaning, what would you say a fishes birthday is.

The day the eggs are laid and fertilized?
The day they hatch?
The day they go free swimming?

My theory is the day they hatch. Let me explain. In a human, your birth day is the day you are no longer in the womb. The womb is an egg shell of sorts... Eh, it's a theory... So I would say the day they hatch...

I almost jumped at option 2, but some species go through a pretty major metamorphosis from larvae to free swimming "fish"... I think I could be persuaded to vote for option 3.

Most Breeder Award programs start counting from the day they hatch. In general clubs this is due to the fact that they have to consider all species, and Killifish, for example, have species that lay eggs that don't hatch for as long as nine months.

However, with some fish it's hard to figure out when the actual hatching occurred. Many mouthbrooder eggs sort of hatch very quickly, but are in a larval stage for much longer than the substrate spawners due to the size of the egg. It is hard to call a huge ball with a wiggling tail "a fish".

So I was also tempted by option three, but went with two out of tradition.

When they leave the parent's body. Just the way I have always thought of it, though not too sure it's really 'correct'.
So, for a substrate spawner, the day they are layed as an egg. For a mouth brooder ---- the day the mother releases them from her mouth. For a livebearer ----- the day they come out of the mother.

Live bearers and mouth brooders there's really no other way to record their birthday... 60% of you (including myself) feel it's the day they hatch from their egg, sort of like anything else on the planet that lays eggs... Chickens, reptiles and so on.

Our breeder award program in the O.C.A. requires fry to be atleast 60 days old from the free swimming stage. It's rule number one infact;

1.The fry being turned in must be at least 1 inch in length or must be at least 60 days old from the free swimming stage. The Breeders Award Chairman reserves the right to refuse any fish deemed undersized.

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It's really what got me thinking about when are fish (substrate spawners) considered "born" so that I could asign a birthday instead of what I've been doing which is keeping track of the date the parents spawn and the events that follow. I suppose thse records should just stay that way though...

Thanks for participating and if others would like to chime in and also vote feel free!

So funny thing is, three months later we just had this same conversation at the dinner table... I had to come back and see what I had originally said! LOL

I voted for free swimming. I know they are alive but they are not fully functional. I guess you could say the same thing about a baby and it being mobile. Any how I vote 3.

They day they hatch.

You wouldn't count your child's birthday on the day he was conceived nor would you consider it the day he started walking. Its the day you were physically brought into the world, IMO.

xxbenjamminxx said:

They day they hatch.

You wouldn't count your child's birthday on the day he was conceived nor would you consider it the day he started walking. Its the day you were physically brought into the world, IMO.

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But... do mouth brooders "bring their offspring into the world" when the eggs hatch? A. the eggs never really "hatch", and B. they aren't "in the world" yet are they? They are inside mom! :wink:

Number6 said:

But... do mouth brooders "bring their offspring into the world" when the eggs hatch? A. the eggs never really "hatch", and B. they aren't "in the world" yet are they? They are inside mom! :wink:

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Touche.

Exactly why this is a tricky question.

Your birthday is not based on the day you are concieved or that day you start walking.

This subject is tricky I just want to come out and say we don't have gills and fins too but like posted its tricky. I lean towards 3 but also 2 .

I guess it's essentially "born" when it hatches, but I agree that the argument could be made that until it's free swimming, it's not really a fish. :fish:

in certain asian countries when your born, your already a year old... so really is it date of conception? guess it depends on how u look at it really.