Species Profile | Images | Breeding Report | Similar Species
(Other members of the genus Polypterus)
ADULT SIZE: 25 cm
WATER CONDITIONS: Not critical
TEMPERATURE RANGE: 24-28 C
FOOD: Feed Polypterus ornatipinnis live foods and small fish
DISTRIBUTION: This species comes from Angola, Cameroon, Congo (DRC), Lake Tanganyika
AQUARIUM CARE: The ornate bichir is an aggressive predator that can grow longer than half a metre (though usually less in captivity) and requires nourishing meat and live foods, such as shrimp, small fish, mussels etc. It does well in a larger tank, in subdued light. They can be kept with smaller fish if well fed, but similar sized species are more appropriate. This fish has a wide distribution in Africa, even venturing into lake Tanganyika, so it clearly enjoys a wide range of water conditions, from the soft acidic swamp water of the Congo, to the hard 'liquid rock' water of the great lakes.
BREEDING: This species has been bred in captivity, though not often. Males initiate spawning, and wrap their bodies around the female.
Have you bred Polypterus ornatipinnis? Why not fill in a breeding questionaire?, or examine existing Polypterus ornatipinnis breeding reports
Other members of the genus Polypterus
Other oddball species
Other species from Angola, Cameroon, Congo (DRC), Lake Tanganyika
The ornate bichir is a widely distributed African carnivore
BREEDING: This species has been bred in captivity, though not often. Males initiate spawning, and wrap their bodies around the female.
Have you bred Polypterus ornatipinnis? Why not fill in a breeding questionaire?
Sorry no records.
Cichlids? There are estimated to be over 2000 different Cichlid species in the wild, of all sizes, shapes and colours. Many require very specialist conditions such as those coming from the sandy/rocky waters of Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika. Others, such as the Apistogramma dwarf cichlids from the Amazon basin require softer water and a well-planted tank. In general cichlids do not make good community fish as they can get quite aggressive, especially when spawning - but a specialist cichlid tank is certainly a sight to behold, and can be very rewarding for the more experienced aquarist
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