The West African lungfish, also called the Tana lungfish, is a species of African lungfish with an eel-like body and whip-like pelvic fins, growing up to a meter long and weighing as much as four kilograms. It lives in a wide range of freshwater habitats across West and Central Africa and the northern half of southern Africa. It belongs to a lungfish lineage thought to have existed for more than 400 million years and is considered a sister group to the tetrapods, making it important for understanding the evolution of land vertebrates. Physiological adaptations let it survive periods of drought.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) Relationship to PeopleFarmed or Commercially Raised 3 Relationship to People Living or Extinct Scientific Name Conservation Status Comparison
CITES Appendix Connections
Child Taxon Of
Source Wikidata: West African Lungfish
In Biome
Source West African Lungfish (Wikipedia)
In Ecosystem
Source FishBase: Protopterus annectens (FishBase)
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: West African lungfish
article text (diet), EntityId 338918Quote, article text (diet), EntityId 338918
The African lungfish has an omnivorous diet, consisting of various fish, earthworms, plants, and even crustaceans.
2. GBIF Species API
3. FishBase: Protopterus annectens (FishBase)
FishBaseHuman uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquaculture: commercial
In Ecosystem: Sahel, Distribution
Africa: large Sahelian basins, Comoé River, Bandama River and some basins of Sierra Leone and Guinea
View the Source 4. Wikidata: West African Lungfish
WikidataStatements section, conservation status (P141)
IUCN Red List conservation status (Wikidata property P141): least concern.
- Wikidata Q512042 (P225 taxon name)
Wikidata Q512042 (P1034 main food source): fish
Main food source (Wikidata property P1034): fish.
Wikidata Q512042 (P1034 main food source): Lumbricus terrestris
Main food source (Wikidata property P1034): Lumbricus terrestris.
Wikidata Q512042 (P1034 main food source): plant
Main food source (Wikidata property P1034): plant.
- Wikidata P141 (IUCN conservation status) claim, entity QID Q512042
- Child Taxon Of: Sarcopterygii, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
View the Source 5. UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat): Species+: Dipneusti
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat)Species+ taxon_concepts, id 68386Quote, Species+ taxon_concepts, id 68386
"cites_listing":"II/NC","eu_listing":"B/NC","higher_taxa":{"kingdom":"Animalia","phylum":"Chordata","class":"Dipneusti","order":null,"family":null},"synonyms":[],"common_names":[{"name":"Lungfishes","language":"EN"},{"name":"Peces Con Pulmones","language":"ES"},{"name":"Sarcoptérygiens","language":"FR"},{"name":"肺鱼亚纲","language":"ZH"}],"cites_listings":[]
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat): Species+: Ceratodontiformes
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat)Species+ taxon_concepts, id 112Quote, Species+ taxon_concepts, id 112
"cites_listing":"II/NC","eu_listing":"B/NC","higher_taxa":{"kingdom":"Animalia","phylum":"Chordata","class":"Dipneusti","order":"Ceratodontiformes","family":null},"synonyms":[],"common_names":[{"name":"角齿肺鱼目","language":"ZH"}],"cites_listings":[]
West African Lungfish (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIn Biome: Freshwater, Wikipedia intro: "ngfish or simply African lungfish, is a species of African lungfish. It is found in a wide range of freshwater habitats in West and Central Africa, as well as t..."View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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