AFRICAN LUNGFISH (Protopterus annectens) 7-8"

Distribution

It is widespread, being found in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Togo, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Ghana, Central African Republic, Chad, Benin, Senegal, Kenya, Mali and Sudan.

Habitat

It usually inhabits temporary floodplains that are completely dry for part of the year. It also occurs in swamps, marshes, and backwaters.

Maximum Standard Length

40″ (100cm). It is usually smaller in aquaria, but is still easily capable of achieving a length of over 30″.

Although a large aquarium is obviously required for an adult fish, the fish are not terribly active. Therefore, you can probably get away with keeping one in a tank of around 72″ x 30″ x 30″ (180cm x 45cm x 45cm) – 1060 litres. This is an absolute minimum, however. We have seen fully grown specimens kept in smaller tanks, but really the fish should have room to move around.

Water movement in the aquarium should be kept to a minimum. This species is unfussy with regards to decor. Some cover can be provided in the form of roots, branches or large, smooth rocks. Any artificial lighting should be very dim. A sandy or muddy substrate is beneficial but not essential. What is most important is the the cover of the tank cannot be moved by the fish and contains no gaps. These fish can and will escape given the slightest opportunity. A gap of around 6″ should be left between the water surface and the cover to allow the fish access to the atmospheric air it needs to survive.