Edit Polypterus endlicherii
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Name
Scientific name
Polypterus endlicherii
Described by
Authority Heckel, Year 1847
Family
Polypteridae
Common names
Saddled Bichir
Photograph credits
All 1 credited
Summary
The saddled bichir, Polypterus endlicherii, is a nocturnal bichir recorded from ten African countries including Cameroon, Nigeria and Sudan…
Size and aquarium
Maximum size
750mm, standard length
Aquarium size
Minimum length 210 cm, Minimum depth 120 cm, Minimum height 90 cm
Water
Water conditions
Temperature 22–27°C, pH 6–8
Hardness
5–25dGH
Conductivity
Not recorded
Behaviour
Temperament
Not recorded
Social needs
Not recorded
Community suitability
Not recorded
Where it lives
Countries, regions, rivers and lakes
Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Nigeria, Sudan, South Sudan
Writing
Etymology
Not written yet
Distribution
A widespread species, it has been recorded in Cameroon, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Chad, The Ivory Coast, Mali, Sudan, Benin and the Central African Republi…
Habitat
A widespread species, it has been recorded in Cameroon, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Chad, The Ivory Coast, Mali, Sudan, Benin and the Central African Republi…
Aquarium size
210 ∗ 120 ∗ 90 cm - ~2268 litres for a fully grown adult specimen. Juveniles can be grown on in smaller tanks.
Maintenance
Floor space is more important than depth with this species. A soft substrate with pieces of driftwood and smooth rocks arranged to form hiding places is ideal.…
Water conditions
Temperature: 22 – 27 °C pH: 6.0-8.0 Hardness: 5-25°H
Diet
P. endlicherii is carnivorous by nature and will not usually accept dried foods in aquaria, though some specimens have been known to take pelleted varieties. T…
Behaviour and compatibility
Not to be trusted with tankmates it can fit in its mouth but is relatively peaceful otherwise. Suitable tankmates include other Arowana, Synodontis, Datnoides,…
Sexual dimorphism
The anal fin of the male is thicker than that of the female.
Reproduction
Has been achieved in aquaria but details are very scarce. As this species breeds during the rainy season in nature, changes in the temperature and chemistry of…
Notes
An incredibly hardy, nocturnal species with very poor vision, P. endlicherii relies on its excellent sense of smell to locate food. This species, along with ot…
References
References
No references