Can you tell the age of a fish by the number of its scales?

Many people believe that you can determine the age of a fish by counting its scales. However, this is actually a myth and not a reliable way to determine a fish's age.

While scales can provide some information about a fish, such as its species or size, they do not grow in a consistent pattern that would allow you to determine age with any accuracy. Additionally, factors such as diet, environmental conditions, and genetics can all affect the growth rate of a fish and therefore the growth rate of its scales.

There are other methods that can be used to estimate the age of a fish, such as examining the otoliths, or ear bones, which grow in rings similar to tree rings, or by examining the growth rings on the scales themselves. However, these methods are not foolproof and can be difficult to use accurately.

Overall, while the number of scales on a fish can provide some information about the fish, it cannot reliably be used to determine its age.