ORNATE BICHIR

The Ornate bichir, scientific name Polypterus ornatipinnis, is widely regarded as the most attractive of the bichir family. These prehistoric-looking fish are relatively straightforward to keep and make an unusual and pleasing addition to the freshwater aquarium.

The Ornate bichir is a lobe-finned pike, a freshwater species of fish that originates from certain parts of Africa. The bichir can survive out of the water for short periods, being equipped with gills and a lung-like swimbladder that enables the creature to breathe.

The bichir polypterus resembles an eel, although it is actually a species of fish, having a slender body that is covered in hard, bony scales. The fish have dorsal finlets with anywhere between seven to 18 double-edged tips. The remaining finnage consists solely of soft rays. In the wild, the bichir can reach 38 inches in length, although captive specimens are usually smaller in size than that, reaching a length of around 23 inches when fully grown.

Ornate bichir polypterus is also known as the swamp dragon, dragonfish, and dinosaur eel.

Water conditions

The filtration system in the aquarium should not produce a strong current, as bichirs are not the strongest swimmers.

The water temperature should be kept between 770 and 820 Fahrenheit. pH levels should be as stable as possible, somewhere between 6.9 and 8.0, with a dH of up to 25 degrees.

Diet

Bichirs are carnivores and are generally reluctant to eat dried foods. That means you’ll need to feed your fish a varied diet of frozen foods, including bloodworms, vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, mosquito larvae, etc. Large specimens enjoy food, such as chopped Mysis shrimp, earthworms, prawns, mussels, and krill. You may also find that your fish may like some dried food, such as sinking carnivore pellets, but these should be soaked in tank water before feeding to prevent these greedy fish from bolting their meal and choking.