30yr old Lungfish ID Please!

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

Python27

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 23, 2010
8
0
0
Tennessee
I have a 30+ year old Lungfish. I have had it for going on 3yrs. Before that it was on display at a pet store and I had always wanted it since I was a child. The lady who owned the store said she got the fish in one of her first orders in 1980 and it was already over a foot long. She said that it came in with an order of African Marbled catfish and she never ordered it specificly. Her husband decided to put it in a display tank and that's wher it stayed until she decided to have the store re-done and gave it to me because I had been wanting it for years. I am a Biologist and I have asked many fellow biologists if they knew what species it is, and not one can give me an answer. The best answer I got was from a biologist working at the Tennessee Aquarium. He said it seemed to be African, but the head didn't look like any he had ever seen? So If anyone can ID this guy for me I would be very greatfull. It is around 3ft long, grey with black blotches, eats carnivor pellets, snails, chews on rocks and tends to destroy its tank.

Picture 132.jpg

Picture 124.jpg

Picture 129.jpg

Picture 127.jpg

Picture 131.jpg
 
Oh, this is NOT his regular tank! this is his hilding tank until I clean his regular 75gal tank. this is a 55gal that I use as reserve. And yes I gotta remove him soon because he attacked the filter as soon as it started to bubble and destroyed it! So don't worry he loves his regular tank and he fits just fine:)
 
But even in the 55gal their is about 3ft to spare...I just couldn't get the whole tank in the shot and get any detail. BTW sorry about the pic quality. I thought this tank had better natural lighting than his regular tank but I just couldn't get the detail I wanted. the tank looks green and in reality it's quite clear. Any tips on getting a clear detailed shot?
 
P. aethiopicus
 
Protopterus aethiopicus! That's what I thought, but I've been told the head is too flat? But maybe age makes them look different than the younger ones people tend to have? Thank you for your input!
 
Python27;4234400; said:
Protopterus aethiopicus! That's what I thought, but I've been told the head is too flat? But maybe age makes them look different than the younger ones people tend to have? Thank you for your input!

I can barely see the head shape in the pix...
 
The only way I could tell is the pectoral fins. The three other species have fins that are basically tube like extensions where P. aethiopicus actually has somewhat of a fin formation.
 
MonsterFishKeepers.com