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Dipneusti (lungfishes) > Ceratodontiformes (Australian lungfishes) > Protopteridae (African lungfishes)
Etymology: Protopterus: Greek, pro = first, in front of + Greek, pteron = wing, fin (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Peters.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; demersal. Tropical; 5°S - 28°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Africa: East African coastal regions from Somalia and Kenya, and delta of Zambezi River (Ref. 3498). Reported from Lake Rukwa basin and flood plains of Ruaha and lower Rufiji (Ref. 4967, 41366, 89002), but this species was never positively identified from Tanzania (Ref. 27292). The presence of this species in southern Africa also requires confirmation (Ref. 7248, 52193).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 44.3 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3498)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Diagnosis: distance snout to origin of dorsal fin 1.4-1.7 times head length, or 45-56% distance snout to vent (Ref. 7248, 52193).

Obligate air-breathing (Ref. 126274); Found in swamps and flood plains (Ref. 43033). Lungfishes survive for months under the dried mud of floodplains (Ref. 4967).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Gosse, J.-P., 1984. Protopteridae. p. 8-17. In J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). Volume I. ORSTOM, Paris and MRAC, Tervuren. 410 p. (Ref. 3498)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 01 May 2009

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.6602 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00155 - 0.00977), b=3.10 (2.89 - 3.31), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.7 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Assuming tmax > 30).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (34 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Unknown.

Protopterus amphibius (Peters, 1844)