Skip to content
Dipnoi

File:Neoceratodus_forsteri,_2014-09-19.JPG · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ168422· pop 75· linked from 610 articles

Also known as salamanderfish, lungfish

Lungfish, also known as dipnoans, are freshwater vertebrates belonging to the class Dipnoi. Lungfish are best known for their innovative respiratory system, including the ability to breathe air, and derived structures within Sarcopterygii, including the presence of lobed fins with a well-developed internal skeleton. Lungfish represent the closest living relatives of the tetrapods (which includes living amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals). The mouths of lungfish typically bear tooth plates, which are used to crush hard shelled organisms.

OverviewAI-generated

Dipnoi is an accepted taxon classified at the rank of Superclass within the phylum Chordata. This group of organisms inhabits freshwater environments.

Specimen records for Dipnoi are held by institutions including NMMNHS, UCM, and KU, all located in the United States. A total of 114 records are associated with this taxon, though no media files are currently available. The subject is referenced by 610 other encyclopedia articles.

Synthesized by Vinony from 11 facts across 4 sources: Wikidata, WoRMS, iDigBio, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Species

Superclass

  1. PhylumChordata
Habitatfreshwater

via

Museum specimens

Specimen records
114
Collections
NMMNHS, UCM, KU
Recorded in
United States

~16 min read

Encyclopedic overview

13 sections
Contents
  • Etymology
  • Anatomy and morphology
  • Lungs
  • Perfusion of water
  • Perfusion of air
  • Ecology and life history
  • Evolution
  • Extant lungfish
  • Taxonomy
  • See also
  • References
  • Further reading
  • External links

Lungfish, also known as dipnoans, are freshwater vertebrates belonging to the class Dipnoi. Lungfish are best known for their innovative respiratory system, including the ability to breathe air, and derived structures within Sarcopterygii, including the presence of lobed fins with a well-developed internal skeleton. Lungfish represent the closest living relatives of the tetrapods (which includes living amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals). The mouths of lungfish typically bear tooth plates, which are used to crush hard shelled organisms.

Today there are only six known species of lungfish, living in Africa, South America, and Australia, though they were formerly globally distributed. The fossil record of the group extends into the Early Devonian, over 410 million years ago. The earliest known members of the group were marine, while almost all post-Carboniferous representatives inhabit freshwater environments.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Dipnoi” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (30)