Fresh Water Species

The story of the Lungfish is certainly an interesting fish-tale. It has been described as a ‘living fossil’, with its ancestors dating back to the dinosaurs, well over 100 million years ago. Lungfish are a species of freshwater fish and are best known for retaining primitive characteristics including its ability to breathe air - the only fish species that can - and it does so with its lung! In fact, the lungfish can even wriggle over land and live over the age of 50. Many believe the lungfish is the missing link in the evolutionary chain - which saw fish crawl out of the water to become land-dwelling, backboned animals, like us humans!

The Southern Pygmy Perch is a local freshwater fish species used to be widely distributed and abundant in the Murray, Lachlan, and Murrumbidgee catchments, the species has now disappeared from most locations in NSW and has only been recorded from a handful of sites in the last 25 years. 

The team here at SEA LIFE Sydney is currently working on a breeding program to help save this species of fish. 

The spotted scat lives in freshwater and estuaries around mangroves. In Australia this species can be found all around the coast of Australia from north-Western Australia to central New South Wales. These fish grow to about 33 cm.  

The silver and triangular-shaped Archerfish can be found in the freshwater systems of Australasia, from streams to rivers and estuaries. The most significant trait of this type is its ability to catch their land-based prey (often insects and bugs) by shooting water from its mouth. Archerfish are generally quite small in size but can grow up to 40 centimetres.

Here at SEA LIFE Sydney we have 8 Eastern Water Dragons. Eastern Water Dragons are found all around Sydney Harbour, most likely lounging on a rock in the sun by creeks and rivers. These reptiles are great swimmers using their long tails to propel them across the water. They can also hold their breath for up to 1 hour.