Polypterus

Bichir
Polypterus delhezi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Polypteriformes
Family:	Polypteridae
Genus:	Polypterus Lacépède, 1803
Species
see text

Polypterus is a genus of freshwater fish in the bichir family (family Polypteridae) of order Polypteriformes. The type species is the Nile bichir (P. bichir). Fishes in this genus live in various areas in Africa (as the species' common names would indicate). The etymology of the genus name derives from a combination of the Greek prefix πολυ-, poly- (many) and the root word πτερον, pteron (wing or fin) – "many fins." The polypterus is the only discovered vertebrae to have lungs, but no trachea.

In captivity

Zoo Basel was successful in breeding this rare fish. In December 2005 several eggs were laid and at the beginning of 2006 six young polypterus' hatched. Within 2 months they reached 10 cm (about 4 inches).^[1]

Species

• Polypterus ansorgii Boulenger, 1910 (Guinean bichir)
• Polypterus bichir Lacépède, 1803
  • Polypterus bichir bichir Lacepède, 1803 (Nile bichir)
  • Polypterus bichir katangae Poll, 1941
  • Polypterus bichir lapradei Steindachner, 1869
• Polypterus delhezi Boulenger, 1899 (Barred bichir)
• Polypterus endlicheri Heckel, 1847,
  • Polypterus endlicheri congicus Boulenger, 1898 (Congo bichir)
  • Polypterus endlicheri endlicheri Heckel, 1847 (Saddled bichir)
• Polypterus mokelembembe Schliewen & Schäfer, 2006 (Mokèlé-mbèmbé bichir)
• Polypterus ornatipinnis Boulenger, 1902 (Ornate bichir)
• Polypterus palmas Ayres, 1850 (Shortfin bichir)
  • Polypterus palmas buettikoferi Steindachner, 1891 (Buettikofer's bichir)
  • Polypterus palmas palmas Ayres, 1850 (Shortfin bichir)
  • Polypterus palmas polli J. P. Gosse, 1988 (Poll's bichir)
• Polypterus retropinnis Vaillant, 1899 (West African bichir)
• Polypterus senegalus Cuvier, 1829 (Gray bichir)
  • Polypterus senegalus meridionalis Poll, 1941
  • Polypterus senegalus senegalus Cuvier, 1829
• Polypterus teugelsi Britz, 2004 (Cross River bichir)
• Polypterus weeksii Boulenger, 1898 (Mottled bichir)

References

• Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2005). Species of Polypterus in FishBase. May 2005 version.
• "Polypterus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=161059. Retrieved 4 May 2005. 

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