African Lungfish Identification Guide
Recognize African lungfish by their eel-like body, thread-like paired fins, and continuous fin fold.
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Key identification features
- Elongated, eel-like body with slimy-looking skin over small, embedded scales
- Thin, thread-like or filamentous paired pectoral and pelvic fins rather than fan-shaped fins
- Continuous fin fold running from behind the head, around the tail, and forward along the belly to the vent
- Mottled gray-brown to olive coloration, with dark spots in some species
- Can grow over 1 meter in length
- Obligate air-breather that rises to gulp air at the surface
Common look-alikes
- True eels: lack any filamentous limb-like paired fins, having instead small, simple fins or none at all
- Marbled or spotted catfish: have whisker-like barbels and stiff fin spines, both absent in lungfish, which has soft, thread-like fins and no spines
- Bichirs: have rigid ganoid scales and a row of separate spiny finlets along the back, unlike the smooth skin and continuous fin fold of the lungfish
Where you'll see one
African lungfish live in swamps, floodplains, and slow-flowing rivers across sub-Saharan Africa, and are famous for surviving seasonal droughts by burrowing into mud and estivating inside a mucus cocoon.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell an African lungfish from a true eel?
Look for thin, thread-like paired fins near the head and belly; true eels lack these filamentous limb-like fins entirely.
What body feature best confirms an African lungfish identification?
A single unbroken fin fold running continuously from behind the head, around the tail, and along the belly is distinctive of lungfish.