Protopterus is considered the sole genus in the family Protopteridae, which is grouped with Lepidosiren in the order Lepidosireniformes.

Lungfish are periodically exposed to water with low oxygen content or encounter situations in which their aquatic environment dries up.

To cope with these conditions, they have developed an adaptation in the form of an outpocketing of the gut, similar to the swim bladder found in other fishes.

When they hatch, the young resemble tadpoles, with external gills, and only later develop lungs and begin to breathe air.

[11] Until the introduction of the Nile perch to the region, lungfish typically comprised a small proportion of a fisherman's catch.

"[13] As technology advancements such as longlines and gillnets have been increasingly applied over the past 50 years, the lungfish populations there are believed to be decreasing.