Latin name

Protopterus dolloi

Other name

Slender lungfish

Identification

The spotted lungfish has a body very similar to that of an eel. It is elongated in length and round in cross-section. The head and tail of this fish are pointed. The scales on the body are small. The teeth in the mouth are in the form of forked plates. Young individuals have external gill appendages that gradually disappear as they mature.

Features of fish fins

The pectoral and anal fins are flagellate, muscular. The dorsal fin extends from the center of the body and merges smoothly into the tail. 

Fish colouring

The body of this fish is usually brown. Juveniles often have black spots all over the body, but adults usually lose these spots with age. 

Distribution

The spotted lungfish is found only in the Congo Basin.

Habitat

Freshwater, predominantly bottom-dwelling fish inhabiting the river channels of the above basin. 

Size

This species is usually 85 cm long, but some specimens can reach 1 meter. The weight of an adult fish is 11 kg. The life expectancy is about 20 years.

Behavior

They are nocturnal and go hunting at nightfall. They do not grab the prey, but suck it in. When the prey is slow-moving, the fish does not show much energy, but when catching fast prey, it attacks with great speed and agility. When the water dries up, they hibernate by burrowing into the ground. 

Food and feeding habits

Feeds mainly on various mollusks, freshwater crabs, crayfish and other crustaceans, and fish. Juveniles less than 35 cm in length feed almost exclusively on insects. After catching a prey, they do not swallow it immediately, but throw it out of their mouth and start chewing it slowly until everything is hidden in their mouth. Then they spit it out and chew it again, and so on, several times.

Reproduction

Spotted lungfish nests are usually found from June to October. During this time, the male builds and buries the nest in mud, protecting the eggs and larvae. The female does not care for the young, but can be found at this time in open water in rivers throughout its range.

Fishing

In many parts of Africa, spotted lungfish is actively fished by local people for its tasty meat. It is usually harvested by artisanal methods and is not an organized fishery.

Relationship with a person

These fish are the subject of serious scientific research. They have attracted the attention of scientists involved in the development of sleeping pills. 

Interesting facts

Spotted lungfish can live for extremely long periods of time without water. When bodies of water dry up, they build a special cocoon from mud and mucus secreted by their bodies. They spend the entire dry season in this cocoon, about six months. They are transported thousands of kilometers in these cocoons. They can hibernate for over three years! If you put the cocoon in warm water, it dissolves and the fish starts swimming as if nothing had happened.