noun
- plural of lungfish; freshwater fish that have both gills and primitive lungs, allowing them to breathe air and survive in oxygen-poor water
Usage: zoology
Examples
- Lungfishes are found in Africa, South America, and Australia.
- These ancient lungfishes can survive drought by burrowing into mud.
- Scientists study lungfishes to understand vertebrate evolution.
- The Australian lungfishes are considered living fossils.
- During dry seasons, lungfishes enter a dormant state called estivation.
- Lungfishes represent an important link between fish and land vertebrates.