Lungfish

The lungfish belonging to the subclass Dipnoi are a group of six different species of air-breathing living fishes that belong to the class Sarcopterygii. There are also some extinct relatives that belong to this particular class as well. The main characterization of the fish happens due to the presence of about 1 or 2 lungs that are present in the body. The first appearance of Dipnoi or the lungfish happened in the Early Devonian Epoch that was about 419.2 million to about 393.3 million years ago.

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There are also some extant species that tend to occur in several lakes and rivers along the African regions along with South American regions as well. Some species are also found in Australia. Here we are going to talk about African lungfish and all other forms of lungfishes that people.

Description of the Lungfish

These species of fish tend to be really interesting because they have different characteristic forms of bodies. They are large in size and are distributed along the different regions of the planet. The first evolution of lungfish happened about 400 million years ago.

Hence the modern lungfish can be considered as coming from a very ancient lineage that dates back to about 400 million years in total. Hence, it is also known as a living fossil as well. But, some might argue that the lungfish is pretty primitive when it comes to the evolution process. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the features of the fish are underdeveloped in a way. It is just the case that the changes in the lungfish have not been very much since the first evolution that happened.

When it comes to the lungfish, a very distinct characteristic that it has is the presence of the lung on the internal portion of the better. There could be many different purposes for the lung that is present in the body of the lungfish. The lungfish lungs are actually a great help when it comes to providing buoyancy in the fish during the activity of swimming. Apart from that, it also helps in the removal of waste and absorbing oxygen.

When it comes to lungfish, there is a lobe-type feature that this fish has. There is also a complex bone and there are certain muscular structures present in the fins. There are different colours, shapes, body sizes, and other characteristics.

According to the researchers, the marbled lungfish is definitely considered one of the largest members of the family of the lungfish. The average length of a marbled lungfish can reach up to about 7 feet in total. Apart from that, the weight of the fish is also about 40 pounds. Most of the species of this fish have very poor eyesight. They are also not able to sense movement. However, their sense of touch is pretty great along with their sense of smell and taste. Along with that, there are some other things such as the organs that are present on the snout and that is something that can sense the weaker electric fields. When it comes to the evolution of lungfish, there is not much that has changed for sure. Over so many million years, there hasn’t really been much change on the lungfish body that can be due to the lack of certain predatory actions and the stable environment as well.

Scientific Name of Lungfish and Classification

When we are talking about the scientific name of the lungfish, it belongs to the order Dipnoi. This is basically a Latin name that comes from the meaning that it has 2 different organs. The main purpose of these organs can be used for breathing and some other reasons as well.

One of the closest relatives of the lungfish is named coelacanth that is ocean-based. This fish was discovered in 1938. Both of the fishes have changed a bit when it comes to the evolution process about 400 years ago. There are not many details provided about the scientific name of the fish.

Lungfish Species

There are some important details about the different species of lungfish that you need to know about. We have an idea about six different species. There are four different species of African lungfish and they belong to one particular genus for sure. Apart from that, there is the South American as well as the Australian species. These fishes have their own genera.

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• Grilled Lungfish: These fishes will have a gray and blue colour and they tend to live along the bottom side of the swamps as well. These fishes are also found in the floodplain areas that are situated in Eastern Africa.

• West African Lungfish: It is also suggested by the name of the fish that it is specific to the different regions of West Africa. Apart from that, these fishes have an eel-like structure in their body along with the long fins that represent the filaments. The skin of the fish is brown in colour.

• Spotted Lungfish: This is another type of fish that has spots in them. These spots are black in colour and they tend to diminish with age. One of the main things to keep in mind about these species is that they are mostly situated in the regions of the Republic of Congo and Gabon.

• Marbled Lungfish: These are the fishes that are found mostly in the regions of Central Africa and Eastern parts of Africa as well. The marbled lungfish has a very distinct characteristic which means it will have sinewy fins that are long in length and are decked with spots that resemble that of leopard skin.

• South American Lungfish: When it comes to this type of fish they tend to populate the different slow-moving waters along with some swamps as well. So, there is not much that is known about this particular type of fish. There are some juvenile skin patterns present on the skin of the fish which are pretty much gold in colour. These spots tend to turn to a gray or brown colour along with the passage of time.

• Queensland Australian Lungfish: One of the most important things to notice about the Queensland Australian Lungfish is that they have a pretty brown back that sometimes has an olive-brown shade. The underside of the fish is yellow and orange.

Distribution of Lungfish: Population and Habitat

About the habitat as well as the distribution of the lungfish, it can be said that the range of it is pretty large. The lungfish is distributed pretty evenly in every single tropical part of the planet in the best way. Most of the species of the lungfish tend to reside in the African parts and hence are a part of the genus of African Lungfish.

However, there are some other species such as the Queensland lungfish that tend to occupy the region of Queensland Australia. Hence, they are provided with the name of the location that they reside in. There are some other species that are present in the Western Hemisphere in the parts of the Amazon basin. Another one of the most important things to notice about the distribution of these fishes is that they are mostly situated in rivers, freshwater lakes, wetlands, streams, and other locations as well.

For about 200 million years, lungfish was a very popular fish that was distributed all over the world. After about 200 million years, the numbers experienced a huge decline. The species of lungfish that are remaining these days don’t have to face the threat of extinction for sure.

Food Habits of Lungfish and Predatory Threats

It can be said without a shadow of a doubt that lungfish is basically an apex predator for sure. However, that is only the case when the fish tends to reside in the natural freshwater habitat that it has. In the freshwater, there are no other organisms that are big enough to consume the lungfish and hence they are pretty much safe.

When it comes to the food habits of the lungfish, it can be said that some organisms such as the crustaceans, worms, amphibians, insects, and certain plants form the diet of the lungfish. There are some species of lungfish that also eat the others of their own kind. When the lungfish opens its mouth, it will suck in the prey very easily and will crush the prey in between the sharp teeth that they have. Although the lungfish are able to eat pretty much every single organism in the freshwater, they tend to go without consuming any food for a very long time as well.

Process of Reproduction and Lifespan of Lungfish

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There are some important details about the process of reproduction that happens in the lungfish in the best way. Researchers have found that the reproductive strategies that tend to exist within the lungfish can vary according to the genus as well as the region that fish belongs to. It can be seen that Queensland as well as the South American are pretty much different when it comes to the reproductive strategies of African.

During the times of winter, the beginning of the rainy season marks the breeding season for the African lungfish. The larvae of the fish will then emerge after a week of the laying of the eggs. These offspring will have red-coloured fan-shaped gills. These will help the fishes in breathing inside the water. This happens till the lungs are fully developed. The male fishes are responsible for protecting the young till the time they are actually ready to gain the independence that they have.

There are some other important pieces of information regarding the South American lungfish that tend to build a proper and elaborate nest for the young. There is a vertical passage on the nest along with a proper horizontal chamber as well. The male fish of this species is also responsible for guarding the offspring in the best way. Hence, there are different techniques that are used by different species of lungfish in order to breed and protect their young.

Conclusion

The lungfish is definitely amongst some of the lesser-known fish but this article will help students understand more about the fish and they will be able to answer questions about the topic during their exams.