Bichir
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| Bichirs | ||||||||||
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| Missing image Nile_bichir.png Nile Bichir Nile Bichir | ||||||||||
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The bichirs are a family (Polypteridae) of primitive ray-finned fishes, the sole family in the order Polypteriformes. They have thick bonelike scales and a series of dorsal finlets instead of a single fin. All 16 recognized species occur in freshwater habitats in Africa. They are popular subjects of public and large hobby aquaria.
Taxonomy
- Genus Erpetoichthys
- Erpetoichthys calabaricus - Reedfish or Ropefish
- Genus Polypterus
- Polypterus ansorgii - Guinean Bichir
- Polypterus bichir bichir - Nile Bichir
- Polypterus bichir katangae
- Polypterus bichir lapradei
- Polypterus delhezi - Barred Bichir
- Polypterus endlicheri congicus
- Polypterus endlicheri endlicheri - Saddled Bichir
- Polypterus ornatipinnis - Ornate Bichir
- Polypterus palmas buettikoferi
- Polypterus palmas palmas - Shortfin Bichir
- Polypterus palmas polli
- Polypterus retropinnis - West African Bichir
- Polypterus senegalus meridionalis
- Polypterus senegalus senegalus - Gray Bichir
- Polypterus weeksii - Mottled Bichir
External link
- FishBase entry for Polypteridae (http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/FamilySummary.cfm?ID=31)