African lungfish, Protopterus annectens, #14680

African lungfish.

Species: African lungfish, Protopterus annectens
Image ID: 14680
Format: Digital 2:3
Notable: Lungfish belong to a prehistoric group of fishes that lived over 300 million years ago. When submerged, these fish must occasionally swim to the surface and gulp air or they will drown. The African lungfish has adapted to survive out of water for several years. When swamp waters recede, the lungfish burrows into the mud and covers itself with a thick coat of slime. The slime hardens into a cocoon which prevents the lungfish from drying out. The lungfish emerges from its cocoon after the first seasonal rains refill the swamp.