Living in the rivers and lakes of sub-Saharan Africa, the African lungfish (Protopterus) is a genus of fish with some of the strangest biological characteristics in the world.

These fish range in size from 44-200 cm when fully grown. They have an elongated body, somewhat resembling an eel in appearance.

The pectoral and anal fins of the fish are thread-like, while the dorsal and caudal fins are fused into a single structure. The entire body of the fish is covered with soft scales. They swim undulatingly like eels or crawl along the bottom using their pectoral fins.

Due to the high temperatures in Africa all year round and the harsh dry season, which often lasts at least 4-5 months, causing rivers and lakes to dry up, lungfish have developed a very unique respiratory system to survive.

True to its name, lungfish have a highly evolved respiratory system, taking oxygen directly from the air like land animals.

When living in water, they often come to the surface to get air. These individuals can even drown if they live underwater for a long time.

When they go underwater, they move and feed like other fish. In the dry season, they will dig deep holes in the young mud by eating mud through their mouths and expelling mud through their gills. When they reach the required depth, they stop digging and secrete mucus through their mouths to harden the mud, creating a cocoon covering the outside, only exposing their mouths to get air.