Fish That Breathe Air
Lungfish Lungfish are freshwater creatures known for their ability to breathe air. Six known lungfish species inhabit the waters of Africa, Australia, and South America. They have an extremely advanced respiratory system that allows them to breathe air directly.
Snakehead The snakehead is a freshwater perciform fish family native to Africa and Asia.These elongated fish have giant mouths, long dorsal fins, and sharp, shiny teeth. The snakehead has a suprabranchial organ or primitive lung for respiration.
Mudskippers Mudskippers are amphibious fish that inhabit the tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions of the indo-pacific and Africa to Australia.They also don’t have any particular organs for breathing air. However, by staying moist, they can absorb oxygen through their skin and mouth lining.
Walking Catfish The walking catfish is an air-breathing catfish inhabiting Southeast Asia’s freshwaters. The name is derived from its ability to wriggle and walk across dry land in search of food or shelter.
Climbing Perch The climbing perch is also known as climbing gourami. This fish is native to Southeast Asia and Africa. It can breathe air, which allows it to venture out of the water and walk short distances on land.
Tarpons Tarpons are fish that belong to the genus Megalops.There are two species, one native to the Atlantic and the other inhabiting the Indo-Pacific.They can also live in brackish waters with varying pH and low oxygen levels.
American Eels The American eels are found in the waters of the eastern coast of North America.They live in freshwaters and migrate to the sea for spawning. They have a slender body that resembles a snake.
Bettas Bettas are popular aquarium fish, referred to as Siamese fighting fish.They’re native to the shallow and slow-moving waters of Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and parts of China.
Gouramis Gouramis are freshwater fish that are native to Asia. They can be found across the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and the Korean Peninsula.
Arapaima The arapaima, pirarucu, or paiche are any sizeable bony tongue species in the genus Arapaima.These fish have a labyrinth organ full of blood vessels that opens into their mouth. They use this organ for breathing in oxygen-deprived waters in their habitat.