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Friday, May 2, 2014

How Long Do Bluegill Live?

“I stocked my pond with bluegill a few years ago and I’d like to know how long they live.” 

Our extensive collection of gardening books at the Newton Falls Public Library includes several on water gardening, such as Helen Nash’s The Pond Doctor, Richard Bird’s Water Gardens, and Peter Robinson’s Complete Guide to Water Gardening. However, these books all dealt more with the ornamental kinds of fish such as goldfish and koi. We couldn’t find any mention of bluegill in David Alderton’s Encyclopedia of Aquarium and Pond Fish either.

Fortunately, searching online brought up the answer. According to the BioKIDS website (which is run by the University of Michigan), bluegill typically live from four to six years in the wild, although in captivity they can get to be as old as eleven.

For more information on enjoying a pond, including tips, lore, and recipes for fish, frogs, and crawdads, Louise Riotte’s Catfish Ponds & Lily Pads is available for borrowing.

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