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Ancient & incredible: Neoceratodus forsteri

An astounding and prehistoric fish, the Australian Lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) is often described as Australia’s oldest living fossil, virtually unchanged in more than 100 million years. The Australian Lungfish is also remarkable because it has both gills and a single lung that allows it to breathe air.

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"Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror"

Khalil Gibran

A rare talent for a fish

Renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough described the Australian Lungfish as “remarkable, ancient and extraordinary,” because of its unique ability to breathe air, which has ensured its survival from prehistoric times. 

Back when fish were the only creatures on Earth with a backbone, it is probable that a fish not unlike the lungfish was one of the first to use its large, flipper-like fins to shuffle onto land and kick-start a marvellous evolutionary explosion. 

This strange monster can be found slinking across muddy bottoms and seeking out dark spaces in the deep pools and slow-flowing rivers of Queensland, in Australia’s north-east regions. Olive green to brown in colour, with long, thick bodies, the Australian Lungfish are known to live up to and beyond 100 years of age.

Credible and CITES-registered breeder

Jardini is the largest of just two farms worldwide that are legally licensed to breed and sell the endangered Australian Lungfish species. 

Australian Lungfish are a CITES-listed species. CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement designed to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

Jardini has met the requirements of CITES in order to be accredited to breed and sell Australian Lungfish, so you can trust that your fish purchase is legitimate and not contributing to illegal and unsustainable practices. 

We manage a farm located in one of the most pristine parts of Australia’s south-east Queensland region in order to breed high-quality Australian Lungfish for export to collectors around the world.

Gain the assurance of buying direct from the breeder when you select species raised by Jardini. Our farms are well-established with specially designed holding, spawning and rearing tanks that enable us to effectively determine the sex of fish and ensure their good health, carefully select and match fish for breeding and recreate the perfect conditions for successful spawning to occur.

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