Family CERATODONTIDAE

Ceratodontidae

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• NEOCERATODONTIDAE.

Introduction

The endemic Australian lungfish has long been placed in the family Ceratodontidae with a single living species, Neoceratodus forsteri (see Munro 1961). However, Miles (1977) proposed a new family, the Neoceratodontidae, which includes fossil and Recent (Neoceratodus) species. Neoceratodontidae has been recognised subsequently as distinct by Kemp (1997, 1999) and Cloutier & Ahlbert (1996); more recent work also supports monophyly of the Neoceratodontidae (Apesteguía et al. 2007). Nelson (1994, 2006), however, retained the Ceratodontidae arguing that the phylogeny was not fully resolved. Molecular and fossil work suggest a long separation of the Australian lungfish from South American and African lungfishes (Heinicke et al. 2009).

The Australian Lungfish occurs in fresh water among vegetation cover in a few small tributaries and larger rivers of south-eastern Queensland. Reports of lungfish from northern Australia have not been confirmed.

Lungfish are mainly carnivorous, feeding on frogs, tadpoles and small fishes. The lungfish is one of few primary division freshwater fishes in Australia, the genus Neoceratodus having survived since early Mesozoic times. The maximum size is about 1.8 m in length.

General References

Cloutier, R. & Ahlberg, P.E. 1996. Morphology, characters and interrelationships of basal sarcopterygians. pp. 445-479 in Stiassny, M.L.J., Parenti, L.R. & Johnson, G.D. (eds). Interrelationships of Fishes. San Diego : Academic Press 496 pp. [453]

Heinicki, M.P., Sander, J.M. & Hedges, S.B. 2009. Lungfishes (Dipnoi). pp. 348-350 in Hedges, S.B. & Kumar, S. (eds.). The Timetree of Life. Oxford : Oxford University Press 772 pp.

Kemp, A. 1997. A revision of Australian Mesozoic and Cenozoic lungfish of the family Neoceratodontidae (Osteichthyes; Dipnoi), with a description of four new species. Journal of Paleontology 71: 713-733

Kemp, A.R. 1999. Sensory lines and rostral skull bones in lungfish of the family Neoceratodontidae (Osteichthyes: Dipnoi). Alcheringa 23: 289-307

Miles, R.S. 1977. Dipnoan (lungfish) skulls and the relationships of the group; a study based on the species from the Devonian of Australia. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 61(1-3): 1-328

Munro, I.S.R. 1961. Handbook of Australian fishes. Nos 1–42. Australian Fisheries Newsletter 15–17, 19, 20: 1-172 [published as separates 1956–1961]

Nelson, J.S. 1994. Fishes of the World. New York : John Wiley & Sons 600 pp.

Nelson, J.S. 2006. Fishes of the World. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 601 pp.

Common Name References

Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp. [54] (Australian Lungfish)

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