Kinh Quyen' Notes

The family Polypteridae consists of:

• Bichir (genus Polypterus)
• Ropefish (reedfish, genus Erpetoichthys)

The polypterus is the only discovered vertebrate to have lungs, but no trachea.  The type species of this genus is The Nile Bichir (Polypterus Bichir).

The etymology of the genus name derives from a combination of the Greek prefix πολυ-, poly- (many) and the root word πτερον, pterus (wing or fin) – “many fins.”

Photos:

Polypterus senegalus

Common Name: Senegal bichir, Cuvier’s bichir, Dinosaur eel, Gray Bichir
Scientific Name: Polypterus senegalus
Size: 48 cm
Breed: any fish can fit bichir’s mouth
Life Span: 8-12 years

Polypterus endlicheri endlicheri – Saddled Bichir

Genus Polypterus Lacépède, 1803

• Retropinnis group
  • Polypterus retropinnis Vaillant, 1899 (West African bichir)
• Bichir group
  • Polypterus ansorgii Boulenger, 1910 (Guinean bichir)
  • Polypterus bichir Lacépède, 1803 (Nile bichir)
    • P. b. bichir Lacepède, 1803
    • P. b. lapradei Steindachner, 1869
  • Polypterus congicus Boulenger, 1898 (Congo bichir)
  • Polypterus endlicheri Heckel, 1847 (saddled bichir, Khủng long hoàng đế, Cửu sừng hoàng đế)
• Weeksii group
  • Polypterus mokelembembe Schliewen & Schäfer, 2006 (Mokèlé-mbèmbé bichir)
  • Polypterus ornatipinnis Boulenger, 1902 (ornate bichir)
  • Polypterus weeksii Boulenger, 1898 (mottled bichir, Khủng long bông, Cửu sửng hoa)
• Senegalus group
  • Polypterus delhezi Boulenger, 1899 (barred bichir)
  • Polypterus palmas Ayres, 1850 (shortfin bichir)
    • P. p. buettikoferi Steindachner, 1891
    • P. p. palmas Ayres, 1850
    • P. p. polli J. P. Gosse, 1988
  • Polypterus senegalus Cuvier, 1829 (gray bichir, khủng long xám, khủng long vàng)
    • P. s. meridionalis Poll, 1941 (most likely avariant of P. s. senegalus)
    • P. s. senegalus Cuvier, 1829
  • Polypterus teugelsi Britz, 2004 (Cross River bichir)

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polypterus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bichir

http://primitivefishes.com/polypterus

http://theaquariumwiki.com/Polypterus_senegalus

http://theaquariumwiki.com/Polypteridae

Videos:

Polypterus congicus – Congo bichir:

Polypterus endlicheri – Saddled Bichir: