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Er yeah... Obviously I'm quite far behind... So I'm going to make up for it with one of the most awesome and rarest fish that I love.

RFotW #16 -- Neoceratodus forsteri -- Australian Lungfish, Queensland Lungfish



Cute, isn't it? Just as a warning, that's a youngster; these fish can and do grow to five or six feet in length, making them appropriate for indoor ponds rather than aquariums when larger. Also, this image only shows one of two colors; this fish, of course, is the green color. Australian Lungfish also come in a yellow or golden color with varying amounts of black spotting.

There are a number of reasons this fish is relatively rare. For one, it's endangered. However, there is nothing to fear. This fish is fully protected and is classified as a CITES II fish; there are very strict rules on the capture and trade of this fish. Any Australian Lungfish that are sold are now captive bred. In fact, if my sources are correct, only a single fish farm in Australia is allowed to breed and export these fish (link can be found below). Unfortunately, there seems to not be much data on the environmental triggers of this fish to cause it to breed in captivity.

Because this is a lungfish, of course it shares the characteristic of being able to breathe atmospheric oxygen through a lung-like organ. However, the Australian Lungfish, like many other Australian animals, is quite different from its counterparts from the other areas of the world. The Australian Lungfish is the most primitive of all the Lungfish species, having lived in isolation with no natural predators. This species is most like fossils of ancient species of Lungfish. Unlike the other Lungfish, it only has one lung, while the others have two. Also, this fish is unable to rely completely on it's lung for more than a matter of days and only uses it to help survive in stagnant waters in it's natural habitat; this fish is unable to bury itself in a mud ball and aestivate like the African and South American species of Lungfish. However, this fish is able to survive out of water for some time, being able to move from one body of water to another in the fashion much like a Snakehead.

This fish is a really hardy fish and will consume a large variety of food items, including plants and animal matter, and is even said to be a species of fish that'll demolish snail populations. Though the fish has relatively poor eyesight, it is not only able to find food through smell, but also by electroreception. This fish is relatively peaceful and can be kept in community aquariums. This species, like sturgeons, is able to live quite a number of decades. The Shedd Aquarium has a specimen that exceeds 70 years in age! This fish also can survive a range of temperatures from temperate to tropical. If it weren't for the enormous adult size this fish would be perfect for many homes.

And of course, there is another factor that bars this species from being a perfect fish; the extravagant price. This fish is priced anywhere from $500 upwards, the lastest price I've seen being an average of about $700.

If I'm not mistaken, member Toirtis has been planning on getting at least one of these for himself, so he may have some other knowledge about this fish.

Links:

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=4512&genusname=Neoceratodus&speciesname=forsteri

http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfacts/fish/nforsteri.htm

http://www.lungfishbreeders.com/

Past RFOTW:
1. Polynemus paradiseus -- Paradise threadfin
2. Anableps anableps -- Four-Eyed Fish
3. Hypancistrus zebra -- Zebra Plec
4. Potamotrygon sp. -- Pearl Ray
5. Merodontotus Tigrinus -- Tigrinus Catfish, Zebra Shovelnose
6. Rhinopias aphanes -- Merlet's Scorpionfish, Lacy Scorpionfish
7. Tetraodon pustulatus
8. Astronotus orbicularis -- Bumblebee Oscar
9. Parambassis pulcinella -- Rhino Glassfish, Humphead Glassfish
10. Lepisosteus platyrhincus -- Golden Florida Gar
11. Polyodon spathula -- Missippi Paddlefish
12. Pterois radiata -- Radiata Lionfish, Clearfin Turkeyfish
13. Panaque suttonorum, Panaque suttoni -- Blue Eyed Plec
14. Potamotrygon sp. -- P14, Itaituba Ray
15. Brachyplatysoma juruense -- Juruense Catfish, False Tigrinus, Alianza Cat

Last edited by Shinigami at 05-Feb-2005 13:21[/font]

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

Don't you just want to pinch his little cheeks?

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

finally we have another RFOTW!!! And a cool one too!

If I'm not mistaken, member Toirtis has been planning on getting at least one of these for himself, so he may have some other knowledge about this fish.

If things go correctly, I will have 8-10 of them in a breeding programme in a structure devoted to N. forsteri breeding ponds.

You go Toirtis! /:'

I saw a 5ft albino specimen at the sydney aquarium.

A beutifull fish if I ever saw one.

Ah, very nice, Toirtis. Are you gonna get CITES certified so us US members can get some over the border?

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

This is going to be through the Canadian government, and I will be a CRES (Captive Reproduction of Endangered Species) programme institution, so yes.

Very nice!

An LFS near me has a South American one. He is about 2 foot, and they have been keeping him in a 30 gal.]:|

They only want 150 for him. I would take him if I had some where to put such an animal.

Build a huge pong Shannen

I will just as soon as I figure out what a pong is.

are baked beans involved

[font color="#008000"]Wow...cool fish. I'd love to own one.[/font]

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Born in radioactive waters, the Mutant Goldfish swims...
Check out my profile to see my tank setup(s)!

Pond :%)