Do bichirs have bones?
The body is covered in thick, bonelike, and rhombic (ganoid) scales. Their jaw structure more closely resembles that of the tetrapods than that of the teleost fishes.
How big do Polypterus get?
Polypterus senegalus may grow to reach 16 inches in length in captivity. So, you will need an aquarium of at least 6ft x 2ft x 2ft with a 50-gallon capacity to accommodate this species.
Are bichirs aggressive?
Bichirs are predatory fish, with a moderately aggressive temperament. They are problematic when kept with smaller size fish, as they will nip at their fins or even eat them. However, they seem to have no problems sharing their tank with larger fish. They are nocturnal animals and prefer feeding during the night.
What kind of fish is a Bichir?
Background. Bichirs belong to the Polypteridae family of fishes. Sometimes mistaken for eels, the Bichirs are primitive, freshwater fishes that first appeared around 60 million years ago at the end of the Mesozoic era. Bichirs are also known as dragonfish, dinosaur eels, and swamp dragons.
How does a Bichir breathe?
Interestingly, bichirs do not breathe air solely through their mouths, but also have a spiracle on both sides of their heads, though it’s hidden under their gill covers.
Do Bichir have gills?
The external gills of bichirs represent prominent adaptive structures, and constitute major breathing organs of their free-living embryos and early larvae (Figure 1A) (Kerr, 1907; Diedhiou and Bartsch, 2009).
What fish can live with a dinosaur Bichir?
Dinosaur bichir tankmates It is best to consider fish that are larger than the size of your dinosaur bichir’s mouth and can hold their own in a tank. Good tankmates include other bichirs, knife fish, oscar fish, Jack Demspey fish, and flowerhorn cichlids.
Do Bichirs bite?
Captivity. Bichirs are predatory fish; in captivity they will take any live or dead animal that can be swallowed or broken apart and then swallowed. It will also bite fins of other fishes if it can.
How big does a Bichir get?
Most species grow to between 30 and 60 cm (11.8 and 23.6 inches) long. Some members of the largest two species, the saddled bichirs (P. endlicherii) and Congo bichirs (P. congicus), grow to lengths of 75 cm (29.5 inches) and 97 cm (38.2 inches) and weights of 3.3 kg (7.3 pounds) and 4.4 kg (9.7 pounds), respectively.