Neoceratodus

Neoceratodus is a genus of lungfish in the family Ceratodontidae, comprising lobe-finned freshwater fishes that rely on both gills and a specialized lung. It is one of three extant genera of lungfish, the others being Lepidosiren and Protopterus. The genus includes the living Australian lungfish, Neoceratodus forsteri, and several extinct species known from the fossil record.

Neoceratodus forsteri, the sole living species, is native to eastern Australia, where it inhabits slow-moving rivers, billabongs and swamps. It can tolerate turbid water and variable oxygen levels by breathing air through a swim bladder-derived lung. Notably, Australian populations can aestivate during prolonged dry periods by sealing themselves in mud cocoons.

Physically, Neoceratodus species have fleshy lobed fins and a broad snout. They reach large sizes and grow slowly. They are generally omnivorous, feeding on invertebrates, aquatic plants, and detritus.

Reproduction is believed to be aquatic, with eggs deposited in nests or mud and fertilization occurring in water; the species' long fossil record helps illuminate the evolution of ray-finned lungfish and their lineage since the Paleozoic. The genus is known from fossils dating back to at least the Mesozoic era.

Conservation status: Neoceratodus forsteri is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with threats including habitat alteration, water extraction, and pollution of freshwater systems in eastern Australia.