Ornate Bichir
The ornate bichir (Polypterus ornatipinnis) is a bony fish
found in Lake Tanganyika and the Congo
River basin in Central and East Africa.
P. ornatipinnis has black and yellow patterning on its body,
head, and fins, with 9 to 11 dorsal spines. It is the largest of the Polypterus
species, with a protruding upper jaw, reaching 24 in (61 cm) in length. This
fish can range in colour from dark brown to brownish grey, and is very common
in the aquarium trade, like many other bichirs. This fish has a primitive pair
of lungs, enabling it to survive out of water for a short time. It has eyes on
the sides on its head and two pectoral fins, and is one of the more attractive
of the bichirs.
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| Ornate Bichir |
Reedfish
The reedfish, ropefish (more commonly used in the United States),
or snakefish, Erpetoichthys calabaricus, is a species of freshwater fish in the
bichir family and order. It is the only member of the genus Erpetoichthys. It
is native to West and Central Africa. The
reedfish possesses a pair of lungs in addition to gills, allowing it to survive
in very oxygen-poor water. It is threatened by habitat loss through palm oil
plantations and urban development.
The reedfish reaches a maximum total length of 37 cm (15
in). It has an eel-like, elongated body without a trace of a vebtral fin. The
long dorsal fin consist of a series of well-separated spines each supporting
one or several articulated rays and a membrane. The reedfish possesses a a pair
of lungs, enabling it to breathe atmospheric air. This allows the species to
survive in water with low dissolved oxygen content, and to survive for an
intermediate amount of time out of water. Larvae have conspicuous external
gills, making them resemble salamander larvae.
The genus name derives from the Greek words erpeton
(creeping thing) and ichthys (fish).
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| Reedfish |
Gray bichir, Senegal
bichir, or dinosaur bichir
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| Gray bichir, Senegal bichir, or dinosaur bichir |