African Lungfish

scientific name

Protopterus annectens

size/weight/height

6.5" when fully grown

adaptations/coloration

Heart: 4 chambers
Lungs: necessary to breathe air
when water dries up
Burrowing: in soft mud
• curls up in chamber lined with mucus
• opening allows breathing through mouth
• metabolic rate slows
• energy comes from breakdown muscle tissue
• may survive maximum 4 yr. but usually only few months necessary

behavior

aggressive predators

reproduction/lifespan

Eggs: laid in nest
Newborn: larvae have external gills • reabsorbed during metamorphosis
Parenting: males guard newly hatched young up to 2 mos.

diet

Wild: frogs & small fish
Zoo: krill

habitat/range

swamps • small rivers • West & South Africa

status

not listed

oregon zoo exhibit

Africa Rain Forest