Barramunda

Barramunda 

(Neoceratodus forsteri), the only modern representative of the family Ceratodidae of the subclass Dipnoi. The body, which reaches a length of 175 cm and a weight of 10 kg, is covered with large scales. The fleshy paired fins resemble the flippers of penguins or pinnipeds. The barramunda is found only in southeastern Queensland (eastern Australia), mainly in the basins of the Burnett and Murray rivers. It has been acclimatized in several lakes and reservoirs. The fish prefers rivers that have a slow current and that are heavily overgrown with aquatic vegetation. Barramundas do not hibernate, and they feed on bottom invertebrates. The spawning season is quite long, from April through November. The eggs, which measure 6.5–7 mm across, are deposited on aquatic vegetation.

REFERENCE

Zhizn’zhivotnykh, vol. 4, part 1. Moscow, 1971.