How do African and South American lungfish cope with the extreme environmental stress associated with the complete desiccation of the ponds they typically live in?
A) They burrow down into the mud, produce a cocoon of mucus and remain inactive until environmental conditions become favourable.
B) They die.
C) They have swim bladders that can adapt to act as a crude lung, allowing them to travel overland to the nearest body of fresh water.
D) They dry out completely and remain on the pond floor as a dry husk, but regain activity when moisture returns.
E) They excrete a small, toughened spore with an extremely tough and desiccation resistant outer layer that lies dormant until water returns to the pond, thus regenerating a juvenile lungfish from the spore.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Lungfish cope with desiccation by burrowing into the mud and forming a mucus cocoon, entering a state of dormancy until conditions improve.

How Do African and South American Lungfish Cope with the Extreme