Meet Methuselah, the fish that likes to eat fresh figs, get belly rubs and is believed to be the oldest living aquarium fish in the world.

In the Bible, Methuselah was NoahB次元官网网址檚 grandfather and was said to have lived to be 969 years old. Methuselah the fish is not quite that ancient, but biologists at the California Academy of Sciences believe it is about 90 years old, with no known living peers.

Methuselah is a 4-foot-long (1.2-meter), 40-pound (18.1-kilogram) Australian lungfish that was brought to the San Francisco museum in 1938 from Australia.

A primitive species with lungs and gills, Australian lungfish are believed to be the evolutionary link between fish and amphibians.

No stranger to publicity, MethuselahB次元官网网址檚 first appearance in the San Francisco Chronicle was in 1947: B次元官网网址淭hese strange creatures B次元官网网址� with green scales looking like fresh artichoke leaves B次元官网网址� are known to scientists as a possible B次元官网网址榤issing linkB次元官网网址� between terrestrial and aquatic animals.B次元官网网址�

Until a few years ago, the oldest Australian lungfish was at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. But that fish, named Granddad, died in 2017 at the age of 95.

B次元官网网址淏y default, Methuselah is the oldest,B次元官网网址� said Allan Jan, senior biologist at the Academy and the fishB次元官网网址檚 keeper. MethuselahB次元官网网址檚 caretakers believe the fish is female, although itB次元官网网址檚 difficult to determine the speciesB次元官网网址� sex without a risky blood draw. The Academy plans to send a tiny sample of her fin to researchers in Australia, who will try to confirm the sex and figure out the fishB次元官网网址檚 exact age.

Jan says Methuselah likes getting rubbed on her back and belly and has a B次元官网网址渕ellowB次元官网网址� personality.

B次元官网网址淚 tell my volunteers, pretend sheB次元官网网址檚 an underwater puppy, very mellow, gentle, but of course if she gets spooked she will have sudden bouts of energy. But for the most part sheB次元官网网址檚 just calm,B次元官网网址� Jan said. Methuselah has developed a taste for seasonal figs.

B次元官网网址淪heB次元官网网址檚 a little picky and only likes figs when they are fresh and in season. She wonB次元官网网址檛 eat them when theyB次元官网网址檙e frozen,B次元官网网址� said Jeanette Peach, spokeswoman for the California Academy of Sciences.

The Academy has two other Australian lungfish that are younger, both believed to be in their 40s or 50s, Jan said.

The Australian lungfish is now a threatened species and can no longer be exported from Australian waters so biologists at the Academy say itB次元官网网址檚 unlikely theyB次元官网网址檒l get a replacement once Methuselah passes away.

B次元官网网址淲e just give her the best possible care we can provide, and hopefully she thrives,B次元官网网址� Jan said.

B次元官网网址擧aven Daley, The Associated Press