Giant 25cm-long ‘miracle goldfish’ found after hiding in Japanese aquarium for seven years
Of all the underwater creatures you can find in aquariums, a goldfish might not seem too special. But there’s one goldfish in Shima Marineland in Japan’s Mie Prefecture with a life-story more exciting than most.
Thrown into a tank as food for a larger species, this plucky fish not only escaped predators, but managed to slip into a water filtration tank where it survived undetected for seven years – growing to a length of 25cm (10 inches) – before being discovered by aquarium staff.
Back in April, a member of staff was cleaning a water purification tank when he thought he saw the shadow of a large fish. The 3 metre by 5 metre (10ft x 16ft) filtration tank, located underneath the exhibition tank, should not have any fish in it at all – so after using a net and a flashlight to scout around, he was surprised to discover this huge goldfish was living in there!
