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CAAB: 37046000

Family CERATODONTIDAE

Australian Lungfish


Compiler and date details

Gerald R. Allen & Norbert J. Cross

  • 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.

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
06-Feb-2012 06-Feb-2012 MODIFIED
12-Feb-2010 (import)