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Which fish can breathe air with lungs?

animalsfishevolution

Quick Answer

Lungfish have true lungs and can breathe air; some African species survive for years in dried mud.

The Full Story

There are six living species of lungfish: one in Australia, one in South America and four in Africa. They have gills but also lungs, and most species must surface regularly to gulp air. When their pools dry up, African lungfish burrow into the mud and wrap themselves in a cocoon of mucus, slowing their metabolism in a state called aestivation for months or even years until the rains return. Lungfish are the closest living fish relatives of four-limbed animals, including amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. An Australian lungfish nicknamed 'Granddad' lived at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium from 1933 until 2017.

Key Facts

1.There are six living lungfish species.
2.African lungfish can survive dry seasons buried in mud cocoons.
3.Lungfish are the closest living fish relatives of land vertebrates.

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