beblondie

Polypterides are among the most primitive of the ray-finned fishes, or Actinopterygii, the dominant group of modern fishes. The long, narrow body of a Polypterus is 10 inches to 3 ft long depending on the species and is covered by thick, rhomboid scales made of an enamel-like substance called ganoine. Such scales were also present in the earliest ray-finned fishes (now extinct) and are quite different from those of other living fishes. The dorsal fin of the bichir is split into a row of small, saillike finlets that are erected when the animal is agitated. Like the sharks and the rays, it has a pair of spiracles. The bichir seems especially adapted to life in dry environments. Instead of the swim bladder of most ray-finned fishes, it has a pair of lungs, somewhat like those of the lungfishes, which enables it to survive out of water for several hours. It also resembles the lungfishes in having a pair of external gills when newly hatched. The bichir is a bottom-dwelling fish, found in the Congo and in the freshwater rivers and lakes of Africa. When these rivers overflow in late summer, bichirs move out to spawn in the flood marshes. It is sometimes caught as a food fish. In addition to the ten species and six subspeciesof Polypterus, the bichir family also includes the ropefish,Erpetoichthys calabaricus, similar in character and distribution, but with a longer, more eellike form. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bichirs are classified as follows Taxonomic hierarchy Kingdom Animalia -- Animal Phylum Chordata -- chordates Subphylum Vertebrata -- , vertebrates Superclass Osteichthyes -- bony fishes Class Actinopterygii -- ray-finned fishes, spiny rayed fishes Subclass Chondrostei -- paddlefishes, sturgeons Order Polypteriformes Family Polypteridae -- bichirs, birchers, lobed-finned pike, reed fishes Genus Polypterus Species(example) Polypterus senegalus senegalus - gray bichir-Cuviers bichir ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Species and sizes maximum known sizes often smaller in captivity Upper Jaw Species-Upper jaw protrudes past lower jaw P. palmas palmas ('palmas' bichir)- 13" P. palmas polli ('marbled bichir)- 14" P. palmas buettikoferi ('buettikoferi' bichir)- 13" P. ornatipinnis ('ornate' bichir)- 27" P. delhezi ('armoured' or 'delhez's' bichir)- 14" P. senegalus senegalus ('Senegal' or 'Cuiver's' bichir)- 12" P. senegalus meridionalis- 12" P. retropinnis retropinnis ('retropinnis' bichir)- 14" P. retropinnis lowei ('Lowe's' bichir)- 12" P. weeksi ('week's' bichir)- 20" P.teugelsi(new species not described yet) Lower Jaw Species-Lower protrudes past upper jaw P. endlicheri endlicheri ('saddled' or 'red' bichir)- 32", possibly more P. endlicheri congicus ('giant' or 'congo' bichir)- 39" P. lapradei ('Lapradei' bichir)- 24" P. bichir bichir-30+ '' P.ansorgii* E. calabaricus ('Ropefish')- 15"-30" Variations There are variations of some of the above including short bodied longfinned albinoism leustic albino bichirs have a pink/ white body with red eyes if they are a species with pronounced markings these are often yellowish in color .Leustic (platinum) are silver/whitish bodies with black eyes. *There are only 3 known examples to exist and they are in museums its possible this species is extinct.-Anne

Top pic its looking male too-Anne

most likely planeria quit feeding for a cpl days clean the filter, and vac the bottom well-Anne

Saw bichirs and here I am,Their fine Al thank you, he's in italy.So bichirs are rare there bummer-Anne

Hi I'm from the States and was wondering whats the price for bichirs/polypterids there?

Ornates are vey nocturnal as a rule and grow to 60cm apporx. other bichir species that would be closer to 30 cm full grown are P.senegalus senegalus, P.delhezi ( nice pattern)P.polli. Any of the above are active during the day -Anne

Could i offer other bichir suggestions? My expirence with ornates they do great log impressions and truly are the most nocturnal of the bunch. I'd suggest either Polypterus delhezi or P.polli active during daytime nicely patterend usually. And i think much prettier then ornates,smaller too,just a suggestion -Anne

resize it helpful huh lol you can use the paint proggie its under image then attributes its the third option from the bottom-Anne

If I understand the idea I think an endcap drilled out and a piece of screen would work-Anne

I've used it before with no problem or shops sell fine crushed gravel its just a little bit bigger than sand -Anne

Not bichirs they use their gills but also have a divided swim bladder part of which acts as a primitive lung .In the wild they come from warm oxygen poor water so they have adapted by using lungs to help get oxygenAnd there are many other species of fish which augment their gills with the abiltiy to breath atmospheric oxygen-Anne

depends on the size of the tank, and its surface area also and what species you want to put in it -Anne

Actualy kribkrazy my fish can drown if they can't surface for air from time to time

open a window and use a fan to blow it out -Anne

never heard of that but temps that high won't be good for the fish i'd try the floating plants like those mentioed or as a last resort nitrazorb or phoszorb -Anne

Floating surface should work ,planted plants will not work the ossies wil uproot them-Anne

8 tanks right now with 1 hospital/ Qtank and 1 spare emergency tank-Anne

size is dependant on species my largest at the moment is pickles hes a Polypterus lapraedi and is 15 inches and should stop growing around 24 inches Most of the species I keep avg. about 12-14 inches fullgrown -Anne Species and sizes maximum known sizes often smaller in captivity P. palmas palmas ('palmas' bichir)- 13" P. palmas polli ('marbled bichir)- 14" P. palmas buettikoferi ('buettikoferi' bichir)- 13" P. ornatipinnis ('ornate' bichir)- 27" P. delhezi ('armoured' or 'delhez's' bichir)- 14" P. endlicheri endlicheri ('saddled' or 'red' bichir)- 36'' P. endlicheri congicus ('giant' or 'congo' bichir)- 39" P. senegalus senegalus ('Senegal' or 'Cuiver's' bichir)- 12" P. senegalus meridionalis- 12" P. weeksi ('week's' bichir)- 20" P. lapradei ('Lapradei' bichir)- 24" P. retropinnis retropinnis ('retropinnis' bichir)- 14" P. retropinnis lowei ('Lowe's' bichir)- 12" E. calabaricus ('Ropefish')- 15"-30'' Hope the chart is useful and thanks for the warm welcomes

Have a link http://www.aquaticscape.com/articles/algae.htm whats your nitrAte level like-Anne

Actually bichir is a common African name for the family polypterus. they are predatory in that they eat smaller fish but not overly agressive predators -Anne Hey Al hugs to you and Rose -Anne

"the moral issue of breeding for food" Predatory fish eat other fish whats the moral issue its a simple fact of nature, Trust me its better to raise your own then buy them, At least you know where they come from and disease risk is minimalizd -Anne

My name is Anne I'm from the USA and have been in the hobby 22 of my 28 years .Ritght now i keep polypterides HAve a good day all -Anne