Polypteridae
Polypterus
76.20 cm
Adults are typically around 1.5 feet to 3 feet with a long thick tube shaped body.
Semi-aggressive
Ornate Bichir are moderately aggressive fish with other fish around the same size but will attempt to eat any fish that will fit in their mouth, to include canabalism.
Omnivore
984.10 L
182.88 cm x 86.36 cm
25.0 C - 28.9 C
Ornate Bichirs are a very hardy variety of fish that can readily adapt to a wide range of parameters but should be kept between 6pH and 8pH with a temperature between 77F and 84F.
Bottom
Egg-scatterer
The male specimen will fertilize the eggs within it's anal and caudal fins before scattering the eggs on plants or other surfaces
100 fry
Male Bichir contort their anal fin into a bowl shape often referred to as "Cupping" when they are ready to breed
Bichir spawn sizes can be anywhere from 50 to 300 eggs at a time but not all eggs will fully mature. Spawning mops are useful to collect bichir eggs. Bichir fry should be collected and kept separate in their own tank with a constant food source of live microworms or black worms. Water parameters must be as clean as possible for a lower mortality rate and methylene blue may be added to the water with eggs to prevent fungus from killing the eggs.
