Do fish get "old" looking?

[gfink]

I had two sunset micky mouse platys, and one recently died after about a year. well, I got him a new buddy (same type) and I can't beleive how "old" my platy looks. They are about teh same size, but my fish looks old. Kinda wrinkly, less muscular.

My dwarf gouramis also look "old" after a year.

Zebra danios look fantastic! Much better than when they were young. Lean, muscular, vibrant gold and silver colors.

Is this normal, or are my fish sick or something?

 

[Cherry]

You are more likely to see senility in captive fish than wild ones, but yes they can get old looking. Physiologically their organs deteriorate leading to a lowered immune system and eventually death. Clinical signs associated with senility include general paling of colouration, abnormal swimming, cloudy eye due to cateracts, emaciation, lethargy and loss of appetite. Generally (very general here) small fish b/w 1-2 inches have a natural lifespan in the wild of about a year and maybe twice that in captivity, larger fish (oscars/giant gouramis) have been recorded to live up to 10 years in captivity.
I guess for a smaller fish like a platy it would make sense that after a year or so they wouldn't look quite as "chipper" colourful or physically fit as a younger specimen. As long as they aren't showing any overt signs of anything, I wouldn't worry about it, it would only seem natural.

 

[fishfreak77]

that's what happened with my mollies, platys and gouramis!!! then they died..I thought it very weird myself.

 

[gouramiguy]

I noticed that too. My two long fin black tetras look wrinkly. They are about 5 years old or so. Also my blue gourami I had for about 6 years looked old for a while before she died.

 

[TankGirl]

I have noticed some of my oldest fish look this way shortly before they died, but only when they were 4-6 years old. I would not expect them to look that way after only a year or so.

 

[BillD]

Live bearers are not particularily longlived, especially if kept at higher temps. Guppies kept at 68 F will live much longer than those kept at 80 F. Also, at the lower temps there is less likelyhood of disease.