Marbled Lungfish

About

Found across the lakes and river systems of central and eastern Africa, the marbled lungfish, Protopterus aethiopicus aethiopicus, is one of the most primitive vertebrates you can keep in an aquarium. This is a genuinely massive animal. Adults routinely exceed four feet in length, and some push toward six, which means only the most dedicated keepers with very large setups should even consider one. As a lungfish, it surfaces regularly to gulp air and can survive conditions that would wipe out conventional fish, including low-oxygen water and seasonal drought, during which it burrows into mud and encases itself in a mucus cocoon to wait out dry periods. In the aquarium it is a slow, deliberate predator that will eat anything it can fit in its broad mouth, so tankmates are essentially not an option. Despite its prehistoric credentials and formidable size, it is listed as a beginner-level species in terms of water quality tolerance. It is genuinely hardy and forgiving of imperfect conditions. The real challenge is simply the sheer space it demands and the commitment involved in housing an animal that can live a decade or more.