Bichir

Bichir Temporal range: Late Cretaceous–Recent[1] They also have a pair of slit-like spiracles on the top of their heads that are used to breathe air,[2] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Nile bichir Polypterus bichir
Barred bichir Polypterus delhezi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Subclass:	Cladistia
Order:	Polypteriformes Bleeker, 1859
Family:	Polypteridae Bonaparte, 1835
Type species
Polypterus bichir Lacépède,1803
Genera
Erpetoichthys Polypterus See text for species.
Red: Polypterus extant, Light red: Polypterus possibly extant, Blue: Erpetoichthys extant

Bichirs and the reedfish comprise a freshwater fish family, the Polypteridae, of ancient ray-finned fishes. They are the only family in the order Polypteriformes. All occur in freshwater habitats in tropical Africa and the Nile River system, mainly swampy, shallow floodplains and estuaries.

A closely related group, the Scanilepiformes, are known from the Triassic, and are ancestral to them. The oldest polypterids are around 100 million years old, from the early Late Cretaceous of South America and Africa. They are living fossils.

Polypterids are elongated, dragon-like freshwater fish with a series of dorsal finlets instead of a single dorsal fin. They have a maximum body length ranging from 25 cm (9.8 in) to over 100 cm (39 in) depending on specific species and morphology.

The scales were different, apart from size, from those of modern bichirs: they feature a discontinuous ganoine layer, a rectilinear shape, and small articular processes.

Serenoichthys was a small polypterid. In comparison, the giant polypterid Bawitius could reach up to 300 cm (9.8 ft).

Polypterids are popular subjects of public and large hobby aquaria, but tend to stay on the ground. Though predatory, they are actually peaceful. They are sometimes called dragon bichir or dragon fin in pet shops for a more appealing name due to their dragon-like appearance. They are also called dinosaur fish due to their resemblance to dinosaurs.

• Bawitius, an extinct bichir
• Alligator gar
• List of prehistoric bony fish genera

1. "Breeding Bichirs". www.aquaticcommunity.com. Retrieved 2021-08-27.

1. ↑ Wiley, Edward G. (1998). Paxton, J.R.; Eschmeyer, W.N. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 75–76. ISBN 978-0-12-547665-2.
2. ↑ Graham, Jeffrey (2014). "Spiracular air breathing in polypterid fishes and its implications for aerial respiration in stem tetrapods". Nature Communications. 5: 3022. Bibcode:2014NatCo...5.3022G. doi:10.1038/ncomms4022. PMID 24451680.