Protopterus aethiopicus
Protopterus amphibius
Protopterus annectens
Protopterus dolloi
The African lungfish are the genus Protopterus and constitute the four species of lungfish found in Africa. Protopterus is the sole genus in the family Protopteridae.
The four recognised species are:
- Protopterus aethiopicus Heckel, 1851 - Marbled Lungfish
- Protopterus amphibius (Peters, 1844) - East African Lungfish
- Protopterus annectens (Owen, 1839) - African Lungfish
- Protopterus dolloi Boulenger, 1900 - Slender Lungfish
The African lungfish are obligatory air breathers. They generally inhabit shallow waters such as swamps and marshes, however they also found in larger lakes such as Lake Victoria. They have a rather snake-like appearance and a strong taste. Kees et al., 2002 mentions that the taste is such that it "is locally either highly appreciated or strongly disliked." As technology advancements such as longlines and gillnets have been increasingly applied in the Lake over the past fifty years, it is believed that the lungfish populations there are decreasing.
References
- 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