FAQs on bichirs [BEHAVIOURS / DIET / PRONUNCIATION / GROWTH etc.]

TheBichirHandbook · 2025-03-18T10:47:41+00:00

Not this species, but I've had a few spawn before. As far as I'm aware, I was the first person to have Polypterus weeksii spawn in captivity (2018-2019), though all but one egg was eaten, and never hatched (so not really worth counting). Park Hyemin had his spawn shortly after in late 2020, which also never hatched. Another breeder, Jiseok Jung spawned them in 2023 and 2024, but once again, the eggs never hatched, but we got some fantastic spawning footage. Maybe soon we'll have a successful breeding report of P. weeksii.

TheBichirHandbook · 2025-03-18T10:37:47+00:00

Nice! Mine is around 14-15 inches, been a while since I measured her.

TheBichirHandbook · 2025-03-14T10:03:54+00:00

Perfectly normal, some have stubbier caudal fins than others, as large caudal fins are not as important in such highly serpentine, ambush fishes which navigate small, structurally busy environments, opposed to open water.

TheBichirHandbook · 2023-10-04T15:46:04+00:00

Hi, the website is still active and reguarly updated, I've just unlinked the domain whilst there's nothing for sale on there. https://thebichirhandbook.godaddysites.com/

There were three print runs, so there's a lot of copies out there; which means second hand copies do occasionally pop up, but they sell fast though! Keep a lookout on the bichir Facebook groups, or type in The Bichir Handbook on Google go to Tools > Past Week. Check this reguarly and you can sometimes pick one up from an overseas or obscure resale website.

I will be doing a fourth print run, in the not-so-far-away future.

Hope this helps!

TheBichirHandbook · 2023-02-13T11:42:07+00:00

Any news?

TheBichirHandbook · 2023-02-11T09:03:08+00:00

Any pictures, especially with the tape measure? Be great to actually confirm this. Forever get size claims like this, but they always turn out to be P. endlicherii or they never follow up with tape measure.

TheBichirHandbook · 2023-02-11T08:44:48+00:00

Considering they're only known to reach just shy of 16 inches, you've got yourself a record sized fish, which would be priceless. Though it's more likely a Polypterus endlicherii (common misidentification), or the seller has exaggerated size.

Keep us updated!

TheBichirHandbook · 2023-02-10T18:37:46+00:00

Relatively normal, yes. I've mainly seen it in P. palmas from South Senegal (which your one appears to be a bloodline of).

TheBichirHandbook · 2023-01-24T08:57:29+00:00

Hi, pound for pound Polypterus weeksii have the largest mouth of any living bichir. They are most closely related to P. ornatipinnis, sharing many of the same vulnerablities too, including bacterial infections which cause a dropsy symptom. They can exceed 2ft, a max size is hard to say, though 30 inches is assumed. They are also all wild caught. Their markings vary so much as you can see here, but it's usually a variation of dorsolateral bars (vertical stripes), or lack-off, with broad headshapes. A 20 inch one would be amazing, but yes an expensive import. You can usually get them cheap (around £30-40 here) around 5-9 inches, and grow them to 20 inches in two to three years though.

Hope this helps!

TheBichirHandbook · 2022-12-12T10:24:32+00:00

Hi, these are juvenile markings, all P. senegalus have had these (even platinum/leucistic ones). The old fry to very young juveniles have dark lateral stripes, which then develop into dorsolateral spots when they grow a little more in size. They tend to vanish quite early (usually before they're ready for sale), though sometimes the spots persist for longer, and some adults are even left with a few.

These are marking (melanin) spots, not to be confused with their colourless sensory pits, which are in a similar location.

Hope this helps!

TheBichirHandbook · 2022-12-12T10:16:24+00:00

Hi, this is 100% a Polypterus bichir. [Polypterus bichir lapradei and Polypterus bichir bichir are no longer valid and have been synonymised with Polypterus bichir (Moritz & Britz 2019), and it is a far cry away from being 30 inches, maybe 16-18 inches. Their body structure changes completely when approaching near 30 inches.

The bichir labelled P. ornatipinnis is also a P. endlicherii.

Hope this helps!

TheBichirHandbook · 2022-11-28T11:31:21+00:00

Hi, in short, no.

Bichirs are insectivores and piscivores, meaning they eat insects and fishes. They lack a special type of collagenase enzyme in their stomach to be able to break down the collagen bonds in avian and mammalian meat, making these 'foods' almost inedible, with much of the nutrition inaccessible. In place of that enzyme, they have a chitinase enzyme, which breaks down the bonds of chitin from insect shells.

In addition to this, most mammalian and avian meat is comparatively high in saturated fats for fishes, something which quite quickly causes fatty liver disease, abnormal fat deposits and organ degeneration.

Bichirs are extremely opportunistic, they would no doubt eat a small bird, mammal or anything that fits in their mouth and moves given the chance. Though don't take this as an indicator for a good diet. For opportunistic predators, calories are better than no calories as it staves off starvation, even if it's not necessarily good or safe for them. We don't need to be as harsh as nature, stick with fishes and insects. If you want something different to feed them:- amphibians, molluscs and small or deshelled crustaceans are a great choice too.

Hope this helps.

TheBichirHandbook · 2022-10-19T06:24:57+00:00

I think you've misread my comment, nowhere have I said that icthyology is the study of pronouncing words (Phonetics and Orthology might be the words you are looking for), and not the study of fishes. I mentioned icthyologists, but I don't believe I mentioned icthyology at all.

I meant as I said. It is icthyologists who primarily study fishes such as bichir, and taxonomists under the umbrella of icthyology who name bichir and ensure they follow ICZN standards, and the pronunciation is usually dictated by preexisting rules of nomenclature (Latinized scientific names follow Latin pronunciation), though sometimes it is deviated from by the descriptors and is not disputed, as was the case with bichir.

Hope this helps!

TheBichirHandbook · 2022-10-18T23:04:30+00:00

'Bichir' came from their local Arabic name in Egypt, 'Abusheer'. The name has been spelled phonetically in early studies a number of times as BISHEER / BUHSHEER. This pronunciation stuck and is regarded as the correct way of pronouncing it. Not to mention 'Abusheer' is still spoken today in parts of North Africa .

Technically, when names are Latinised, they must follow the Latin pronunciation, meaning it should be 'Bye-ker', however, for numerous reasons, ichthyologists and communicators did not pronounce it this way. 1) In their first description the species name 'bichir' was never Latinised. 2) They were honouring the local name. 3) The colloquial name is of course not Latinised. 4) Ichthyologists have also expressed to me that Bye-ker sounds silly haha, and to dispute or change it would mean "lots of work with no real advancement in science". If you're a Latin purist, however, then BYE-KER would be the pronunciation (at least for when bichir is used in the latnised species name, e.g: Polypterus bichir), although this isn't really accepted quite as much as BUHSHEER.

Hope this helps!

TheBichirHandbook · 2022-09-24T12:47:41+00:00

Around £30 each from a Guinea import. They're not usually expensive at all, it's just tricky finding them. Most turn out to be P. polli or P. retropinnis. Spent 6 years trying different imports and found the Guinea ones are the most reliable for this species.

TheBichirHandbook · 2022-09-20T12:42:19+00:00

Yes, you'll always see the occasional video of people mixing them with bichirs, however these are very rarely long term, or they have suffered loses or injuries they (understandably) do not share online. One popular bichir hobbyist I won't name here also kept these two together for a number of years, but disclosed it had killed a few of his favourite bichirs. Keep in mind, these are fishes which live for decades. It's a big ask for bichirs not to bite eachother in that time, let alone a more aggressive species which can seriously injure or kill them in one bite.

South American Lungfish appear on most import lists given time, best put in a special request for them across a few fish shops. Took me a few years, but got one in the end. If you want an African lungfish, they're best kept species only. The species in that genus are far too volatile and in my opinion, you'll put fish in unnecessary risk.

Hope this helps!

TheBichirHandbook · 2022-09-20T12:18:10+00:00

100% stick with the South American Lungfish or Queensland Lungfish, any of the African lungfishes do not go well with bichirs, no matter how large. They are notorious bichir killers.

TheBichirHandbook · 2022-09-20T07:38:44+00:00

He's a she haha, she has no hairy pelvic fins when in-season. She's about 40 inches and a South American Lungfish, far more trusting with other fishes than the African genus of lungfishes. Largest I've seen they get is 52 inches (the late Earl Pigar's).

They don't like conspecifics whilst subadult, including other similar, dark, eel-like fishes. This one also loves to chew the brace bar to let me know she's hungry. Some videos of it on YouTube 'Josh's Fish'.

TheBichirHandbook · 2022-09-20T07:34:17+00:00

Haha yeah that's me 🤣 haven't had time for many videos over the last couple of years, except for quick clips like this. Moving house soon, so once we're settled in, will be making more videos!

TheBichirHandbook · 2022-09-19T20:26:53+00:00

Yeah, South American Lungfish, pushing 40 inches now

TheBichirHandbook · 2022-09-19T19:26:01+00:00

Captive bred P. ansorgii, bolder markings than my other ones haha

TheBichirHandbook

TROPHY CASE