Bowfins are now found throughout eastern North America, typically in slow-moving backwaters, canals, and ox-bow lakes. When the oxygen level is low (as often happens in still waters), the bowfin can rise to the surface and gulp air into its swim bladder, which is lined with blood vessels and can serve as a primitive lung.
Amiidae is a monophyletic group that has numerous synapomorphic characters. Amiidae were widespread and particularly rich in species during the Eocene era. During this era, they appeared to be confined almost exclusively to fresh water.[clarification needed][1]
Taxonomy
The family is divided into five subfamilies, with 16 genera[1][2]
^ abcGrande, L.; Bemis, W.E. (1998). "A Comprehensive Phylogenetic Study of Amiid Fishes (Amiidae) Based on Comparative Skeletal Anatomy. An Empirical Search for Interconnected Patterns of Natural History". Memoir (Society of Vertebrate Paleontology). 4: 1–679. doi:10.2307/3889331. JSTOR3889331.
^ abDeesri, U.; Naksri, W.; Jintasakul, P.; Noda, Y.; Yukawa, H.; Hossny, T.E.; Cavin, L. A New Sinamiin Fish (Actinopterygii) from the Early Cretaceous of Thailand: Implications on the Evolutionary History of the Amiid Lineage. Diversity 2023, 15, 491. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15040491