Lampreys, sturgeons & primitive fishes

89 species · 12 families

This group brings together the oldest living fish: lampreys, sturgeons, lungfish and their ancient relatives, which existed even before the dinosaurs. Lampreys and hagfish have no jaws but a round sucking mouth and an eel-like body without scales. Sturgeons are large bottom fish with rows of bony plates along the body and barbels before the mouth. Lungfish and bichirs can even gulp air to survive drought. They are living fossils that offer a window on the early evolution of fish.

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African lungfish

Protopterus annectens

Protopteridae

Allegheny brook lamprey

Ichthyomyzon greeleyi

Petromyzontidae

Alligator gar

Atractosteus spatula

Lepisosteidae

American Atlantic sturgeon

Acipenser oxyrinchus

Acipenseridae

American brook lamprey

Lethenteron appendix

Petromyzontidae

Amu Darya shovelnose sturgeon

Pseudoscaphirhynchus kaufmanni

Acipenseridae

Amur sturgeon

Acipenser schrenckii

Acipenseridae

Arctic lamprey

Lethenteron camtschaticum

Petromyzontidae

Asiatic brook lamprey

Lethenteron reissneri

Petromyzontidae

Atlantic hagfish

Myxine limosa

Myxinidae

Atlantic hagfish

Myxine glutinosa

Myxinidae

Australian lamprey

Mordacia mordax

Mordaciidae

Australian lungfish

Neoceratodus forsteri

Neoceratodontidae

Barbel sturgeon

Acipenser medirostris

Acipenseridae

Barred bichir

Polypterus delhezi

Polypteridae

Beluga sturgeon

Huso huso

Acipenseridae

Bichir

Polypterus bichir

Polypteridae

Bichir

Polypterus senegalus

Polypteridae

Bischoff's hagfish

Eptatretus bischoffii

Myxinidae

Black hagfish

Eptatretus deani

Myxinidae

Blind eel

Eptatretus cirrhatus

Myxinidae

Bowfin

Amia calva

Amiidae

Brook lamprey

Lampetra planeri

Petromyzontidae

California hagfish

Eptatretus stoutii

Myxinidae

Cape hagfish

Myxine capensis

Myxinidae

Carpathian brook lamprey

Eudontomyzon danfordi

Petromyzontidae

Caspian lamprey

Caspiomyzon wagneri

Petromyzontidae

Chen's hagfish

Eptatretus cheni

Myxinidae

Chestnut lamprey

Ichthyomyzon castaneus

Petromyzontidae

Chilean hagfish

Eptatretus polytrema

Myxinidae

Chilean lamprey

Mordacia lapicida

Mordaciidae

Chinese paddlefish

Psephurus gladius

Polyodontidae

Chinese sturgeon

Acipenser sinensis

Acipenseridae

Columbia sturgeon

Acipenser transmontanus

Acipenseridae

Congo bichir

Polypterus congicus

Polypteridae

Cuban alligator gar

Atractosteus tristoechus

Lepisosteidae

Duckbill Cat

Polyodon spathula

Polyodontidae

East african lungfish

Protopterus amphibius

Protopteridae

Eel sucker

Petromyzon marinus

Petromyzontidae

European river lamprey

Lampetra fluviatilis

Petromyzontidae

European sturgeon

Acipenser sturio

Acipenseridae

Florida gar

Lepisosteus platyrhincus

Lepisosteidae

Gar

Lepisosteus osseus

Lepisosteidae

Guinean bichir

Polypterus ansorgii

Polypteridae

Hagfish

Myxine affinis

Myxinidae

Inshore hagfish

Eptatretus burgeri

Myxinidae

Lake sturgeon

Acipenser fulvescens

Acipenseridae

Lamprey

Geotria australis

Geotriidae

Least brook lamprey

Lampetra aepyptera

Petromyzontidae

Longfin hagfish

Eptatretus longipinnis

Myxinidae

Lungfish

Protopterus aethiopicus

Protopteridae

Marbled bichir

Polypterus palmas

Polypteridae

Mottled bichir

Polypterus weeksii

Polypteridae

Northern brook lamprey

Ichthyomyzon fossor

Petromyzontidae

Ohio lamprey

Ichthyomyzon bdellium

Petromyzontidae

Ornate bichir

Polypterus ornatipinnis

Polypteridae

Pacific lamprey

Entosphenus tridentatus

Petromyzontidae

Parasitic river lamprey

Lampetra ayresii

Petromyzontidae

Pinkster

Acipenser brevirostrum

Acipenseridae

Pit-Klamath brook lamprey

Entosphenus lethophagus

Petromyzontidae

Po brook lamprey

Lethenteron zanandreai

Petromyzontidae

Poll's bichir

Polypterus polli

Polypteridae

Reed

Erpetoichthys calabaricus

Polypteridae

Russian sturgeon

Acipenser gueldenstaedtii

Acipenseridae

Saddled bichir

Polypterus endlicherii

Polypteridae

Sakhalin sturgeon

Acipenser mikadoi

Acipenseridae

Sand Sturgeon

Scaphirhynchus platorynchus

Acipenseridae

Ship sturgeon

Acipenser nudiventris

Acipenseridae

Shortnose gar

Lepisosteus platostomus

Lepisosteidae

Siberian brook lamprey

Lethenteron kessleri

Petromyzontidae

Siberian sturgeon

Acipenser baerii

Acipenseridae

Silver lamprey

Ichthyomyzon unicuspis

Petromyzontidae

Sixgill hagfish

Eptatretus hexatrema

Myxinidae

Slender lungfish

Protopterus dolloi

Protopteridae

South American lungfish

Lepidosiren paradoxa

Lepidosirenidae

Southern brook lamprey

Ichthyomyzon gagei

Petromyzontidae

Southern hagfish

Myxine australis

Myxinidae

Spotted gar

Lepisosteus oculatus

Lepisosteidae

Starry sturgeon

Acipenser stellatus

Acipenseridae

Sterlet

Acipenser ruthenus

Acipenseridae

Strahan's hagfish

Eptatretus strahani

Myxinidae

Syr Darya sturgeon

Pseudoscaphirhynchus fedtschenkoi

Acipenseridae

Teugels' bichir

Polypterus teugelsi

Polypteridae

Threetooth hagfish

Notomyxine tridentiger

Myxinidae

Tropical gar

Atractosteus tropicus

Lepisosteidae

West African bichir

Polypterus retropinnis

Polypteridae

Western brook lamprey

Lampetra richardsoni

Petromyzontidae

Yang's hagfish

Eptatretus yangi

Myxinidae

Yangtze sturgeon

Acipenser dabryanus

Acipenseridae