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SARCOPTERYGII:
CERATODONTIFORMES: CERATODONTIDAE: Neoceratodus
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Neoceratodus forsteri (Krefft,
1870)
Australian lungfish
Photo & text by Dr. Robert Sprackland.
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Range:
Limited to a few freshwater rivers of Queensland.
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Diagnosis: A
blunt-snouted fish with huge overlapping scales and large,
rayless pectoral fins. Unlike other lungfishes, this species has
broad, fleshy pectoral fins, and a single, barely functional
lung.
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Description: A
large fresh-water fish that may reach 1.12 m in length. The
cycloid scales are larger than the eyes and semi-symmetrical.
The pectoral fin is long and broad.
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Natural History:
This species is crepuscular
(active in late afternoon and twilight). It lives in slow-moving
waters of the Brisbane, Burnett, Fitzroy, and Mary rivers of
central eastern Queensland. Diet consists of small fishes and
shellfishes.
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Reproduction:
Females lay 50-100 eggs which
are then fertilized by a male. There is neither nest nor
offspring guarding by the parents.
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Taxonomy & Relationships:
An unusual situation for type description publication: Krefft
described and named the species in the Sydney Morning Herald
18 January 1870.
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Variation:
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Additional Comments:
Though a member of the lungfish group, this species has very
reduced lungs that are of little use. The Australian lungfish is
the least air-adapted member of its group. When first
discovered, the Australian lungfish was believed to be a
primitive amphibian.
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Type Specimen:
Apparently lost.
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Literature:
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