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Protopterus aethiopicus Heckel, 1851

Marbled lungfish
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Protopterus aethiopicus
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Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Dipneusti (lungfishes) > Ceratodontiformes (Australian lungfishes) > Protopteridae (African lungfishes)
Etymology: Protopterus: Greek, pro = first, in front of + Greek, pteron = wing, fin (Ref. 45335);  aethiopicus: Named after Is. Mesmaekers, commander in Boma (Ref. 40587).
More on author: Heckel.

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

Freshwater; demersal; depth range 0 - 60 m (Ref. 34291), usually 0 - 20 m (Ref. 34291). Tropical; 25°C - 30°C (Ref. 2059)

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

Africa: subspecies Protopterus aethiopicus aethiopicus distributed in Nile basin and lakes Albert, Edward, Victoria, Nabugabo, Tanganyika, Kyoga and No (Ref. 3498), also in Lake Turkana (Ref. 52331). Subspecies P. a. congicus distributed in Congo basin, from Upper Lualaba to Kinshasa (Ref. 3498). Subspecies P. a. mesmaekersi distributed in Lower Congo River basin (Ref. 3498).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 73.0, range 70 - 76 cm
Max length : 200 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 34290); common length : 130 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 34290); max. published weight: 17.0 kg (Ref. 13302)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Smooth, slimy, cylindrical body with deeply embedded scales (Ref. 28714). Tail pointed and confluent with the long dorsal and anal fins; dorsal fin originating at an equal distance from eye and vent, or nearer to the latter; pectoral and pelvic fins slender and filamentous (Ref. 34290). Perpendicular from dorsal fin origin closer to posterior than to anterior limbs (Bailey 1994). 55-70 scales in a longitudinal series from immediately behind head to above vent; 40-50 scales around body (Ref. 4903, 45485). 37-40 pairs of ribs (Ref. 4903). Dentition consisting of upper and lower tooth plates in the form of sharp cutting ridges (Ref. 34290). Young fish with true external gills, but usually absent in specimens above 15 cm TL (Ref. 34290). Dark slate-grey above, yellowish-grey or pinkish below, often with numerous dark spots or flecks on fins and body; some specimens bright yellow ventrally; sensory canals on head and body outlined in black (Ref. 34290).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Obligate air-breathing (Ref. 126274); Adults inhabit river and lake fringes, swamps and floodplains (Ref. 28714). In the Lake Victoria basin found in open lakes and marginal swamps, while in the Lake Tanganyika basin only found near rivers and deltas (Ref. 4967). Juveniles occur in matted roots of papyrus (Ref. 34291). Adults able to survive in streams and swamps that are completely dry for long periods of the year, withstanding desiccation on floodplains by aestivating in cocoons until the next rains, breathing air by a small passage leading to the outside (Ref. 45484). Obligate air-breather (Ref. 126274) under laboratory conditions (Ref. 34291), but under certain conditions lungfish in the wild may not be obligate air-breathers and the use of aerial respiration may be a function of ecological as well as physiological factors (Ref. 58531). Mature individuals breed during the flood season (Ref. 28714). One or several females spawn in burrows which are dug and cleaned by the male, who later guards the eggs and the young. Principal diet of adults and sub-adults consists of mollusks, but small fishes and insects are also eaten in small quantities; young individuals less than 35 cm TL feed almost exclusively on insects (Ref. 34291).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Male parent prepares a pit or hole nest, in which more than one female may spawn; once eggs are laid, female leaves the nest and does not return; male guards eggs and young for nearly eight weeks; male not only attacks any would-be intruders but also constantly aerates the water in the nest (Ref. 4903). A multiple spawner (Ref. 41824).

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)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 02 March 2018

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growths
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
Recruitments
Abundances
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturities
Fecundities
Spawnings
Spawning aggregations
Egg(s)
Egg developments
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Anatomy
Gill areas
Brains
Otoliths
Physiology
Body compositions
Nutrients
Oxygen consumptions
Swimming type
Swimming speeds
Visual pigment(s)
Fish sounds
Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)
Genetics
Genetics
Electrophoreses
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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 (2.88 - 3.32), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  4.4   ±0.2 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec=7,800; assumed tm<10; assumed tmax>30).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Very high vulnerability (90 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Unknown.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 25.8 [5.5, 74.8] mg/100g; Iron = 0.837 [0.318, 5.003] mg/100g; Protein = 3.82 [0.22, 7.64] %; Omega3 = 0.27 [0.09, 0.82] g/100g; Selenium = 80.5 [25.2, 263.4] μg/100g; VitaminA = 17.4 [6.0, 48.3] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.886 [0.435, 1.682] mg/100g (wet weight);