South American Lungfish

Range: South America
Habitat: Swamps, backwaters of rivers and lakes
Conservation Status:
Scientific Name: Protopterus dolloi

Lungfish, as their name implies, can breathe air through a lung-like organ. This habit comes in handy since they live in stagnant water that has a low oxygen content, and they need an additional means of getting oxygen.

Some lungfish also survive periods of drought by curling into a ball in the mud and breathing through a tiny air passage. They can stay alive for up to a year in their muddy "cocoons". When rains begin and the muddy air passages fill with water, the fish emerges and renews its aquatic existence.