Where is the lungfish found in South America?
The South American lungfish, Lepidosiren paradoxa, is the single species of lungfish found in swamps and slow-moving waters of the Amazon, Paraguay, and lower Paraná River basins in South America.
How can an Australian lungfish survive out of water?
The South American Lungfish can only breathe air. It can survive for months in a resting chamber of moist mud and mucous. The Australian Lungfish does not bury in the mud or form a cocoon and cannot survive for more than a few days out of water.
How many species of lungfish are there in the world?
There are currently six species currently alive today. The four African lungfish all occupy a single genus, while the South American and Australian species both occupy their own genera. Gilled Lungfish: Sporting a blue or gray color, this species lives at the bottom of swamps and flood plains in East Africa.
Where are marbled lungfish found in the world?
Marbled Lungfish: Found primarily in Eastern and Central Africa, the marbled lungfish has exceptionally long, sinewy fins and a leopard-like spot pattern. South American Lungfish: Populating swamps and slow-moving waters, this species is something of a mystery.
Where are the lungfish found in South America?
The South American lungfish (Lepidosiren paradoxa) is the single species of lungfish found in swamps and slow-moving waters of the Amazon, Paraguay, and lower Paraná River basins in South America. Notable as an obligate air-breather, it is the sole member of its family Lepidosirenidae. Relatively little is known about the South American lungfish.
How does an African lungfish keep itself alive?
African lungfishes also burrow into mud and ensheathe themselves under experimental conditions. They have been kept alive in such an induced state for more than two years. The South American lungfish also burrows into the mud in times of water shortage, but it forms no protective sheath.
Where are the fossils of lungfish have been found?
Hardened sections of clay, cylindrical in shape, have been found in deposits dating to Pennsylvanian and Permian times (about 323.2 million to 251.9 million years ago). Remains of the dipnoid Gnathorhiza, closely allied to the extant African and South American species, were embedded in the clay.
What does a lungfish look like in the wild?
The Lungfish looks like the result of an orgy involving an eel, a carp, and a salamander. Having a long, tubular body, a dorsal fin, a fish-like tail, four flippers that look like a cross between fins and legs, and a large, lateral mouth, the lungfish is not pretty to look at, but it is like no other animal on…
