Protopterus
African lungfish Temporal range:
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Protopterus annectens | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Sarcopterygii |
Class: | Dipnoi |
Order: | Ceratodontiformes |
Family: | Protopteridae Peters, 1855 |
Genus: | Protopterus Owen, 1839 |
Species | |
Synonyms[2][3][4] | |
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Protopterus is the
Taxonomy
The earliest fossils of the Protopteridae come from the
Some papers suggest grouping Protopterus and Lepidosiren together in the family Lepidosirenidae, as their Cretaceous divergence is relatively recent compared to the Carboniferous origins of other lungfish families. However, most taxonomic authorities retain them as distinct families.[6][7][8]
Description
African lungfish are elongated,
African lungfish generally inhabit shallow waters, such as swamps and marshes. They are also found in larger lakes such as
Biology
The African lungfish is an example of how the evolutionary transition from breathing water to breathing air can occur. Lungfish are periodically exposed to water with low oxygen content or encounter situations in which their aquatic environment dries up. To cope with these conditions, they have developed an adaptation in the form of an outpocketing of the gut, similar to the swim bladder found in other fishes. This specialized structure functions as a lung.[11] Within the lung, numerous thin-walled blood vessels allow the blood to absorb oxygen from the air that is gulped into the lung.
They are obligate air breathers, with reduced gills in the adults. There are two anterior
African lungfishes breed at the beginning of the rainy season. They construct nests or burrows in the mud to hold their eggs, which they then guard against predators. When they hatch, the young resemble tadpoles, with external gills, and only later develop lungs and begin to breathe air.[11]
As food
Until the introduction of the
Species and subspecies
The family Protopteridae and genus Protopterus contain four extant (living) species:[4]
- Protopterus aethiopicus Heckel, 1851 — marbled lungfish
- Protopterus amphibius (W. K. H. Peters, 1844) — gilled African lungfish or East African lungfish
- Protopterus annectens (Owen, 1839) — West African lungfish
- P. a. annectens (Owen, 1839)
- P. a. brieni Poll, 1961 — southern lungfish
- Protopterus dolloi Boulenger, 1900 — slender lungfish or spotted African lungfish
Other extinct species are known from fossil remains:
- †Protopterus crassidens Churcher & de Iuliis 2001
- †Protopterus elongus Martin 1995
- †Protopterus libycus Stromer 1910
- †Protopterus nigeriensis Martin 1997
- †Protopterus polli Dartevelle & Casier 1949
- †Protopterus protopteroides Tabaste 1962
- †Protopterus regulatus Schall 1984
References
- ^ "Protopterus". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
- ^ "Part 7- Vertebrates". Collection of genus-group names in a systematic arrangement. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
- ^ Haaramo, Mikko (2007). "Ceratodiformes – recent lungfishes". Mikko's Phylogeny Archive. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
- ^ a b c Froese, R.; Pauly, D. (2017). "Protopteridae". FishBase version (02/2017). Retrieved 18 May 2017.
- ^ "ITIS - Report: Protopteridae". www.itis.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
- ^ a b "FAMILY Details for Protopteridae - African lungfishes". www.fishbase.se. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
- ^ PMID 25543675.
- ^ ISSN 0031-0182.
- ^ "Protopterus protopteroides". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
- ISSN 0305-0270.
- ^ ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
- ^ A single-cell atlas of West African lungfish respiratory system reveals evolutionary adaptations to terrestrialization
- ^ Kees (P. C.) Goudswaard, Frans Witte, Lauren J. Chapman, Decline of the African lungfish (Protopterus aethiopicus) in Lake Victoria (East Africa) East African Wild Life Society, African Journal of Ecology, 40, 42-52, 2002
- Purves, Sadava, Orians, Heller, "Life: The Science of Biology" 7th ed. pg. 943. Courier Companies Inc: USA, 2004.