All fish / Neoceratodontidae

Australian Lungfish

Neoceratodus forsteri

Also known as queensland lungfish, australian lungfish, burnett salmon, ceratodus, barramunda, ปลาปอดออสเตรเลีย, ネオケラトドゥス, オーストラリアハイギョ, 澳洲肺鱼

A heavy, olive to brown fish with large scales, paddle-like paired fins and a single functional lung, often called a living fossil because it has changed little in over 100 million years. It is kept mainly by public aquariums and dedicated specialists for its ancient lineage, calm nature and remarkable longevity.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

100 cm

Temperature

18 to 26 °C

pH

6.5 to 8

Smallest tank

2000 litres

Keep as

Singly, or a pair in a very large system

Diet

Carnivore: earthworms, shrimp, mussels, fish pieces, frogs and sinking pellets, plus some plant matter

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

50 to 80 years or more

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Australia: Burnett and Mary river basins, south-east Queensland

Breeding

It scatters adhesive eggs among water plants in spring, with no parental care. Captive breeding is very rare, and most records come from large public aquarium systems.

Good to know

Strictly protected in Australia and listed on CITES Appendix II, so export is tightly controlled and legally sourced specimens are scarce and costly. Adults can exceed 1.2 m and live for many decades, needing very large tanks or ponds for life.