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What the sources say

Australian LungfishNeoceratodus forsteri

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Australian Lungfish profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 48 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Brooks et al. 2019

Brooks et al. (2019). Neoceratodus forsteri. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T122899816A123382021.

The page saysEndangered
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Endangered (EN).

Source
02

Meyer et al. 2021

Meyer et al. (2021). Giant lungfish genome elucidates the conquest of land by vertebrates. Nature.

The page saysa genome known to be the largest of any animal
The source sayswhich is known to have the largest genome of any animal
The page saysa body that still resembles fossils over 100 million years old
The source says>100-million-year-old fossils from Australia strongly resemble the surviving species
The page saysThe Australian lungfish is known to have the largest genome of any animal.
The source sayswhich is known to have the largest genome of any animal
The page sayspieced together 37 billion base pairs
The source saysThis yielded a 37-Gb assemblyNote: 37 Gb is the assembly; the paper's k-mer estimate of the whole genome is 43 Gb, so the page says "pieced together" rather than giving 37 as the genome size. Gb = billion base pairs.
The page saysthe whole genome is about 14 times larger than a human's
The source saysThe vast size of this genome, which is about 14× larger than that of humans
The page saysA standard scan marked about two-thirds of it as repetitive DNA, the highest share the team knew of in any animal genome
The source saysWe performed standard repeat-masking procedures on the 37-Gb genome assembly, which identified 67.3% (24.65 Gb) as repetitive (Fig. 3a , Supplementary Table 4 ). To our knowledge, this is the highest repetitive DNA content in a genome found in the animal kingdom.Note: 67.3% rounded to about two-thirds; a second pass found more repeats, so the sentence names the standard scan the ranking refers to
The page saysthe genome is still growing, with its transposable elements, DNA sequences that copy themselves, still active
The source saysThe lungfish genome continues to expand independently (its transposable elements are still active)Note: 'DNA sequences that copy themselves' is a gloss of 'transposable elements'
The page saysthe group that includes humans
The source saysultimately gave rise to all land vertebrates, including humans
The page saysThe 2021 genome study confirmed earlier reports that lungfish are the closest living relatives.
The source saysOur phylogenomic analyses confirm previous reports that lungfish occupy a key evolutionary position as the closest living relatives to tetrapods ... Accepted 2021 Jan 6; Issue date 2021.Note: 2021 is the paper's own issue-date metadata
The page saysOnly six lungfish species survive: four in Africa, one in South America and one, the Australian lungfish, in Australia.
The source saysOf the extant lungfish species (of which there are only six), four live in Africa, one in South America and one ( N. forsteri ) in Australia.
The page saysThe South American lungfish and, even more so, the African species have almost completely lost their scales, and their fins have been simplified into thin filaments.
The source saysThe South American and, in particular, the African lungfish have almost completely lost their scales secondarily and have simplified their fin morphology into thin filaments
The page saysThe Australian lungfish keeps ancestral features such as large scales, paddle-shaped fins and its body shape, so it resembles extinct lungfish much more than the other two lineages do.
The source saysOwing to the ancestral characters (such as body shape, large scales and paddle-shaped fins) of N. forsteri , it resembles ‘archetypal’ extinct lungfish much more than the two other lineages of extant lungfish.
The page saysFossils from Australia more than 100 million years old strongly resemble the living species.
The source says>100-million-year-old fossils from Australia strongly resemble the surviving species
The page sayspieced together 37 billion base pairs
The source saysThis yielded a 37-Gb assemblyNote: 37 Gb is the assembly; the paper's k-mer estimate of the whole genome is 43 Gb, so the page says "pieced together" rather than giving 37 as the genome size. Gb = billion base pairs.
The page saysthe whole genome is about 14 times larger than a human's
The source saysThe vast size of this genome, which is about 14× larger than that of humans
The page saysThe researchers traced most of that size to huge stretches of DNA between and inside genes that are packed with repeats.
The source saysis attributable mostly to huge intergenic regions and introns with high repeat content (around 90%) ... Accepted 2021 Jan 6; Issue date 2021.Note: 'between and inside genes' glosses 'intergenic regions and introns'
The page saysA standard scan marked about two-thirds of the genome as repetitive, the highest share the team knew of in any animal
The source saysWe performed standard repeat-masking procedures on the 37-Gb genome assembly, which identified 67.3% (24.65 Gb) as repetitive (Fig. 3a , Supplementary Table 4 ). To our knowledge, this is the highest repetitive DNA content in a genome found in the animal kingdom.Note: 67.3% rounded to about two-thirds
The page saysthe genome is still growing, with its transposable elements, DNA sequences that copy themselves, still active
The source saysThe lungfish genome continues to expand independently (its transposable elements are still active)Note: 'DNA sequences that copy themselves' is a gloss of 'transposable elements'
The page saysThe same study also confirmed earlier reports that lungfish are the closest living relatives of land vertebrates
The source saysOur phylogenomic analyses confirm previous reports that lungfish occupy a key evolutionary position as the closest living relatives to tetrapods
The page saysa question scientists had debated.
The source saysPhylogenetic relationships among coelacanths, lungfishes and tetrapods have been debated

Source
03

Meyer & Dolven 1992

Meyer & Dolven (1992). Molecules, fossils, and the origin of tetrapods. Journal of Molecular Evolution.

The page saysBy 1992, fossil experts and anatomists had spent more than 50 years debating whether the coelacanth or the lungfish was the closer living relative of land vertebrates
The source saysSince the discovery of the coelacanth, Latimeria chalumnae, more than 50 years ago, paleontologists and comparative morphologists have debated whether coelacanths or lungfishes, two groups of lobe-finned fishes, are the closest living relatives of land vertebrates (Tetrapoda). ... J Mol Evol (1992)Note: dated to the paper's 1992 publication; 'fossil experts and anatomists' paraphrases 'paleontologists and comparative morphologists'

Source
04

Fritsche et al. 1993

Fritsche et al. (1993). Respiratory and cardiovascular responses to hypoxia in the Australian lungfish. Respiration Physiology.

The page saysOne study found that as oxygen in the water dropped, the fish first breathed faster through its gills, then took more air breaths, and more blood flowed to its lung.
The source saysThe most prominent response to aquatic hypoxia was an increase in gill breathing frequency followed by an increased number of air breaths together with increased pulmonary blood flow.
The page saysas oxygen in the water drops, it breathes faster through its gills, then takes more air breaths
The source saysThe most prominent response to aquatic hypoxia was an increase in gill breathing frequency followed by an increased number of air breathsNote: vibe.reason

Source
05

Mayne, Espinoza & Roberts 2022

Mayne, Espinoza & Roberts (2022). Tell Us a Story Granddad: Age and Origin of an Iconic Australian Lungfish. Frontiers in Environmental Science.

The page saysOne captive fish, Granddad, is estimated to have lived far longer.
The source saysthe presumed longest-living lungfish known in a zoological park ... We estimated the age of Granddad at death to be 109 years (±6 years)
The page saysHe came to Chicago's Shedd Aquarium from Australia in 1933 and lived there until 2017, and genetic tests later traced his birthplace to the Burnett River.
The source saysThis lungfish specimen was gifted to the Chicago John G. Shedd Aquarium from Australia in 1933 and lived there for 84 years until death in 2017 ... Genotyping also revealed the natal origin of Granddad to be the Burnett River, Queensland, Australia
The page saysScientists ran his DNA through an aging clock built for the species and estimated his age at death at 109 years, give or take 6.
The source sayswe sourced DNA from “Granddad”, the presumed longest-living lungfish known in a zoological park and utilised an epigenetic ageing clock developed for N. forsteri ... We estimated the age of Granddad at death to be 109 years (±6 years)
The page saysGranddad came to Chicago's Shedd Aquarium from Australia in 1933 and lived there until 2017, and genetic tests later traced his birthplace to the Burnett River in Queensland.
The source saysThis lungfish specimen was gifted to the Chicago John G. Shedd Aquarium from Australia in 1933 and lived there for 84 years until death in 2017 ... Genotyping also revealed the natal origin of Granddad to be the Burnett River, Queensland, Australia
The page saysestimated his age at death at 109 years, give or take 6
The source saysWe estimated the age of Granddad at death to be 109 years (±6 years)
The page saysThat estimate ranks the Australian lungfish 12th for maximum age among the 952 fish in the AnAge longevity database.
The source saysThe revised maximum age estimate for N. forsteri places the species as the 21st oldest living animal, out of 3,761 longevity entries in the AnAge database ... Of the 952 fish (aquatic vertebrates with gills) records in the database, N. forsteri ranks as the 12th oldest living fish species in the world

Source
06

Australian Museum, Animal factsheets 2020

Australian Lungfish. Australian Museum, Animal factsheets, 2020.

The page saysAn air-breathing fish with a single lung
The source saysthe Australian Lungfish has the unqiue ability to breathe air using a single lung
The page saysA single lung for breathing air when streams turn stagnant
The source saysThe Australian Lungfish has a single lung, whereas all other species of lungfishes have paired lungs. During dry periods when streams become stagnant, or when water quality changes, lungfishes have the ability to surface and breathe air
The page saysStill and slow-flowing pools of the Burnett and Mary River systems in southeastern Queensland, plus rivers and reservoirs where it has been introduced
The source saysThe Australian Lungfish is normally found in still or slow flowing pools in river systems of south-eastern Queensland ... It occurs naturally in the Burnett and Mary River systems although has been introduced into other rivers and reservoirs in south-eastern Queensland.
The page saysMainly frogs, tadpoles, small fish, snails, shrimp and earthworms, and also plant material
The source saysFood items include mainly frogs, tadpoles, small fishes, snails, shrimp and earthworms. It will also eat plant material.
The page saysUnder most conditions the Australian lungfish breathes only through its gills.
The source saysUnder most conditions, this species breathes exclusively using its gills.
The page saysIt has a single lung, while every other lungfish species has two.
The source saysThe Australian Lungfish has a single lung, whereas all other species of lungfishes have paired lungs.
The page saysIn dry periods, when streams turn stagnant, or when water quality changes, it can surface and breathe air.
The source saysDuring dry periods when streams become stagnant, or when water quality changes, lungfishes have the ability to surface and breathe air
The page saysAn African lungfish can bury itself in mud and stay dormant for several months inside a hardened mucus cocoon.
The source saysThe African lungfish Protopterus annectens (see image) is known for its ability to bury in the mud. ... The mucous hardens to form a cocoon in which the fish stays dormant for several months.Note: scoped to one African species as the source is
The page saysThe Australian lungfish does not bury itself or form a cocoon, and it cannot survive more than a few days out of water.
The source saysThe Australian Lungfish does not bury in the mud or form a cocoon and cannot survive for more than a few days out of water.
The page saysIt is normally found in still or slow-flowing pools, and occurs naturally in the Burnett and Mary River systems of southeastern Queensland, though it has been introduced into other rivers and reservoirs in the region.
The source saysThe Australian Lungfish is normally found in still or slow flowing pools in river systems of south-eastern Queensland ... It occurs naturally in the Burnett and Mary River systems although has been introduced into other rivers and reservoirs in south-eastern Queensland.
The page saysIt grows to about 1.5 metres and over 40 kilograms
The source saysIt grows to about 1.5 m in length and over 40 kg.
The page sayseats mainly frogs, tadpoles, small fish, snails, shrimp and earthworms, along with plant material
The source saysFood items include mainly frogs, tadpoles, small fishes, snails, shrimp and earthworms. It will also eat plant material.
The page saysThe species can live at least 20 to 25 years.
The source saysThe species can live to at least 20-25 years of age.
The page saysAn African lungfish can bury itself in mud and stay dormant for several months inside a hardened mucus cocoon, and the South American lungfish can survive for months in a chamber of moist mud and mucus.
The source saysThe African lungfish Protopterus annectens (see image) is known for its ability to bury in the mud. ... The mucous hardens to form a cocoon in which the fish stays dormant for several months. ... It can survive for months in a resting chamber of moist mud and mucous.
The page saysit cannot survive more than a few days out of water
The source saysThe Australian Lungfish does not bury in the mud or form a cocoon and cannot survive for more than a few days out of water.
The page saysIts single lung lets it breathe air when streams turn stagnant in dry periods.
The source saysthe Australian Lungfish has the unqiue ability to breathe air using a single lung when during dry periods streams become stagnant
The page saysfor a fish that can surface to breathe air
The source saysDuring dry periods when streams become stagnant, or when water quality changes, lungfishes have the ability to surface and breathe airNote: vibe.reason

Source
07

Species Profile and Threats Database, Department of the Environment

Neoceratodus forsteri - Australian Lungfish, Queensland Lungfish. Species Profile and Threats Database, Department of the Environment.

The page saysThe IUCN lists the species as Endangered, and Australia's national environment law has listed it as Vulnerable since 2003.
The source saysEPBC Act Listing Status Listed as Vulnerable (Date effective 06-Aug-2003) ... IUCN: Listed as Endangered (Global Status: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: 2026.1 list)Note: SPRAT page accessed 15 Sep 2026

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.