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| Australian lungfish |
The lungfish has both gills and lungs (swimbladder) for breathing. In dry seasons, it is able to forrn a cocoon around itself and hibernate in the mud.
Millions of years ago lungfish were abundant, but there are now only three known kinds. The Australian lungfish (Neocera-todus forsteri) is the largest. They are found only in the Burnett and Mary Rivers of Queensland. They use their lungs to aid in breathing, but they do not form cocoons.
Two similar genera, one of South America and one of Central America, have slender bodies, small scales, and long, paired fins. They live in seasonal swamps, breathing with their gills in the wet season. During the dry season, they form mucus-lined cocoons and estivate. At this time, respiration is entirely by means of the lungs.
