Australian Lungfish and Similar Species
Neoceratodus forsteri
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Open the appSeveral fish can be confused with Australian Lungfish. Here are the key differences.
Species often confused with {name}
African Lungfish
Protopterus spp.
Key differences: African lungfish have two lungs, are more eel-like in body shape, and possess filamentous, whip-like paired fins, distinctly different from the paddle-like fins of the Australian Lungfish. They also aestivate in mud cocoons during dry seasons, a behavior not exhibited by Neoceratodus forsteri.
South American Lungfish
Lepidosiren paradoxa
Key differences: Similar to African lungfish, the South American lungfish has two lungs and filamentous paired fins. It also aestivates. Its body is more slender and eel-like than the Australian Lungfish.
Eels (e.g., Anguilla reinhardtii)
Anguilla spp.
Key differences: While sharing an elongated body, eels lack the fleshy, paddle-like fins and large scales of the Australian Lungfish. Eels have a more continuous dorsal and anal fin structure that is less distinct from the caudal fin, and they do not possess a lung for air breathing.
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