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For the musical band, see Lungfish (band).
Lungfishes are sarcopterygian fish that can breathe air (and in some species are obligate air-breathers), and have limb-like appendages
instead of fins. There are six living species known; four in Africa, and one each in
South America and Australia.
They all have an elongate body, four limbs, and a single rear fin.
Taxonomically, they present some difficulty because of their resemblances to
both fish and land-dwelling vertebrates, and have been classified in a variety of ways, ranging from class Dipnoi, to infraclass Dipnomorpha, to order Dipteriformes. However, there is general agreement that there are two main
subcategories, here given as orders.
Ceratodontiformes
Order Ceratodontiformes is characterized by having broad flipper-like fins and an unpaired lung.
- Family Ceratodontidae, genus Neoceratodus:
- Queensland Lungfish Neoceratodus forsteri
Lepidosireniformes
Members of Lepidosireniformes have thread-like fins and paired lungs.
- Family Lepidosirenidae, genus Lepidosiren:
- Family Protopteridae, genus Protopterus:
- Marbled Lungfish
Protopterus aethiopicus
- East African
Lungfish Protopterus amphibius
- African Lungfish
Protopterus annectens
- Slender Lungfish
Protopterus dolloi
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