A 200-year-old fish was caught off Alaska.

The ancient fish, a rockfish, is likely older than the state itself. The 200-year-old fish was caught by Seattle resident Henry Liebman.

Liebman is an insurance adjuster, and while he knew he caught a big fish, he didn't realize how old it was. It may be the oldest rockfish ever found.

At a whopping 39.08 pounds (17.73 kilograms), the fish may also set a record for the largest rockfish ever caught.

The 200-year-old fish was born when Madison was in the White House, before the U.S. bought Alaska from Russia. It was almost 41 inches long.

"I knew it was abnormally big, [but I] didn't know it was a record until on the way back - we looked in the Alaska guidebook that was on the boat," Liebman told press.

Troy Tydingco, from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said to press that the current record for the shortraker rockfish (Sebastes borealis) is 175 years. That fish, however, "was quite a bit smaller than the one Henry caught."

Samples of the giant, ancient rockfish have been sent to a Juneau lab. Scientists will age the fish by examining an ear bone called the otolith. It contains growth rings similar to those found in trees.

The fish doesn't break the record for the longest-lived animal ever found. That's held by a tiny quohog clam found in Iceland. It was about 400 years old.

Leibman has decided to have his historic catch mounted to preserve the centuries-old fish. But many have criticized him online for not letting the "beautiful" fish go.

"Damn shame such a noble long lived creature had to die to boost the ego of some boring dweeb." one commenter said