| Hingemouth | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Gonorhynchiformes |
| Family: | Phractolaemidae |
| Genus: | Phractolaemus Boulenger, 1901 |
| Species: | P. ansorgii |
| Binomial name | |
| Phractolaemus ansorgii Boulenger, 1901 |
|
The hingemouth, Phractolaemus ansorgii, is a small freshwater fish that is found only in west central Africa, the sole member of the family Phractolaemidae.
The mouth can extend like a small trunk, thus the name, and has just two teeth, both in the lower jaw. The swim bladder has two compartments, and can function as a lung, allowing the hingemouth to survive in oxygen-poor environments.[1]