ScienceAugust 29, 2026
lungfish
LUNG-fish
Definition
A primitive type of freshwater fish that possesses both gills and a primitive lung, allowing it to breathe air when oxygen levels in the water are low.
Etymology
The word is a compound of the English 'lung' and 'fish', referencing the unique evolutionary adaptation of these fish that allows them to extract oxygen from air via a lung-like organ.
In the news
The author references the Australian lungfish as a benchmark for evolutionary longevity to illustrate how exceptionally ancient the lamprey species truly is.
“Vegan Dracula” Discovered 1,500 Kilometers Outside Known Range Reveals How Little We Know About These Cryptic Creatures
Read the full article ↗IFLScience