Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri)

Scientific name: Neoceratodus forsteri Krefft, 1870

Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri)

The Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) is a freshwater fish of the family Neoceratodontidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 22–28°C (72–82°F). Native range: Oceania, southern Queensland, Australia in Burnett and Mary River systems. Introduced successfully in southeastern Queensland. International trade restricted.

Australian lungfish care at a glance

Temperature
22–28°C (72–82°F)

Biology

Inhabits mud, sand or gravel bottoms. Sluggish species that prefers still or slow-flowing waters, usually in deep pools. During period of drought, it can tolerate stagnant conditions by breathing air, surfacing 1-2 times per hour; however, it lacks the ability to survive dry spells by aestivation; it is a facultative air-breather that will die if forced to depend on air breathing. The sound of the lungfish exhaling air at the surface prior to inhaling a fresh breath has been likened to that made by a small bellows. Nocturnally active. Feeds on frogs, tadpoles, fishes, shrimp, earthworms, snails, aquatic plants and native fruits fallen from trees overhanging the creeks. It browses among the detritus, using its electroreceptors to pick up hidden mollusks, worms or crustaceans. Protected by law

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Neoceratodus forsteri
Family
Neoceratodontidae (Australian lungfish)
Order
Ceratodontiformes (Australian lungfishes)
Class
Sarcopterygii (Lobe-finned fishes)
Maximum length
170
Common length
100.0
Environment
Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Oceania: southern Queensland, Australia in Burnett and Mary River systems. Introduced successfully in southeastern Queensland. International trade restricted.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: subsistence fisheries
Resilience
Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (K=0.11; tmax >30; tm approx. 15-20 yrs.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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