In 1977, brothers Matthew and Hayley Wright were nine and six years old, respectively. That year they went with their parents to an amusement park in the village of Brockworth in the English county of Gloucestershire.

There they got a little goldfish they named Splash, and would probably only live for a few months. At least that was what the parents of the children, Richard and Ann believed. This month, the persistent animal celebrated another birthday.

At the age of 38, Splash continues to adorn the aquarium in the Wright's room, oblivious to the passage of time. Even though he is a legitimate British, the little fish has no idea that John Lennon was murdered, that Prince Charles married Lady Di, that for his lifetime two Gulf wars took place and that London hosted the 2012 Olympics. .

But maybe it's better this way. After all, what could a simple goldfish do on these strange, always absurd human issues? Probably the only concerns that have ever affected the animal's life were some health problems that caused the loss of its right eye and the death of its longtime companion, Splish.

She died about two years ago after sharing the same aquarium with Splash for over 30 years. Despite this, the Wright couple make sure he is happy, in good health and should remain a beloved family member for some time to come.

Splash, pictured next to 71-year-old Richard Wright

As a curiosity, it is worth noting that the scientific name of the species is Carassius auratus, and they can easily live more than ten years, if well cared for. They only have the reputation that they die shortly because they are often neglected.

In fact, as far as the record is concerned, the longest-lived goldfish died at age 43 in 1999. His name was Tish, and if he was still alive, he would probably make a nice pair of veterans with Splash.

Happy birthday, Splash!

Which of your pets lived the longest? Comment on the Mega Curious Forum