Have you considered keeping the African Lungfish at home?

Hardly anyone keeps the African Lungfish in the home aquarium.

One likely reason is that African Lungfish, its scientific name is Protopterus, is a very large predator fish. There are four types of African Lungfish.

The fish can grow to more than six feet in length.

Another likely reason is that this fish is not colorful at all. It does not look as nice as goldfish or as elegant as Asian Arowana.

Have you considered keeping the African Lungfish at home?

Hardly anyone keeps the African Lungfish in the home aquarium.

One likely reason is that African Lungfish, its scientific name is Protopterus, is a very large predator fish. There are four types of African Lungfish.

The fish can grow to more than six feet in length.

Another likely reason is that this fish is not colorful at all. It does not look as nice as goldfish or as elegant as Asian Arowana.

The African Lungfish looks like a gigantic eel, except that it has narrow pectoral fins, and crest-like dorsal fin on its back.

This enables the fish to swim like an eel, yet retains the ability to crawl at the bottom to seek out hiding preys.

If you want to keep African Lungfish in a home aquarium, you have to keep the fish alone.

This breed is not known for its sociable attitude. It does not even tolerate the opposite sex. Nobody has claimed to successfully breed Protopterus in captivity.

The origins of this fish is in Africa, mainly the stretch from Senegal to Nigeria and Zambia to Mozambique.

This fish requires a predator, requiring carnivorous diet. It is not fussy about food, as long as it is meat, and it can get into the stomach.

Even if you put some snails into the tank, you will not find any snail the next morning.

The most remarkable fact about African Lungfish is the creative survival method.

This fish can breathe out of water.

Even if the river dries up, the fish can survive.

African Lungfish just burrows into the mud, covers the body with the mucus so that water loss is limited. The fish can breathe through the swim bladder even when it is encased in mud.

African Lungfish can survive in this stage, without food and water, for six months, until the rains come.

When the rain floods the river basin, the fish just frees itself form the mud, and swims around seeking food.

The Africans like to eat this fish. When the river dries up, the African dig out the fish, still encases in the muddy cocoon, and keeps it at home.

They can cook the fish whenever they want to eat fresh fish.

Some hobbyists mention about keeping the fish for more than 20 years. However, it is rare for a hobbyist to keep the fish at home.

Information about the lifespan and other aquarium care is limited.

About me:

Scheng1 is a passionate blogger from Singapore. Rich in every sense reveals my deep desire in enjoying life, and be rich in every possible ways. Personal Finance is about money, from making money to investing money. Retirement in Asia contains resources about retirement planning. 

scheng1

scheng1 is a writer at Expertscolumn.com.

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