ENGLISH

ASSIGGNMENT

Topic: POLYPTERIS

Name: Jahanvi Verma POLYPTERIS

Class: BSc II Medical (M1)
Roll No: 20517
 Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Polypteriformes

Family: Polypteridae
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 Habitat

They primarily
inhabit small Polypterus native
lakes, ponds, to freshwater
swamps, river and lake
floodplains, systems in
rivers, and Several species western and
These fish live estuaries. central Africa.
also live and
exclusively in
breed in an
freshwater habitats and
aquarium setting
do not range into
as well.
brackish or saltwater
ecosystems.
 Distribution
It occurs in at least • Cameroon,
twenty-six • Chad,
countries which • Ethiopia
include • Kenya,
• Mali,
• African • Ivory Coast,
• Senegal, • Tanzania,
• Egypt, • Sudan,
• Democratic • Nigeria,
Republic of • Gambia,
Congo, • Uganda, and other
 Ecology Notes:
u s u a lly
ne galus, the a t e d fish, , it
rus s e hir lon g color f
Polypte ichir, gray bic An e
r
i n
beige shades o
lb o some
Senega s bichir, and gre y
m e s has e o n
er' ti
some pink or bl fish is
u
or Cuvi s called the
e , e
sometim eel" (a white most of th btle
ur re ; u
"dinosa , as the creatu scales in very s sional
er ed a
misnom an eel nor a cover s with occ dots.
er rn r
is neith patte blotches o
r) r
dinosau darke

"
s a u r bichir s m o oth and larger
o ei s ith
c a l l ed "din s in the pet The fac at the nose w e fish,
also n f ish" i h -like
d
rounde n the rest of
th
d ra g o n g fi s h a d e from
or " u
to its l was sc al e s t p ro tru
d u e l n ostrils a c h side
trade hich exte r n a re o n e
p e a r an c e w
re p ri mitive the f ro n t ; eyes a re usually
a
ap d as mo n other e a d, they black pupil;
r i b e of th e h a
desc
e h i storic tha y e llo w with and seems to
and pr fishes pale h is large
o u t
n the m losed.
moder grin w
h e n c
 l o ng and s a p air of
dy i s i s hh a a d of a
T he b o
d rical; a T he f
lungs i n s te
o
y cy l i n ns iti v e w ing it t
vaguel dorsal fin ru pri m a ll o
y im b ladder, a i r fr om the
d
serrate st of the bod l
sw lly gulp . In the
d ic a
o da perio water
along m eets the cau d o f t h
surface , bichirs can
e be
m d an
until it oi n te m
aquariu dashing to th
e
w h ic h is p ed ose.
fin observ s p u rp
c e for thi
flat s u r f a

ttac h just
a
e cto r al fins he gill k in s erves as
The p n d b e low t ir 's s
This bich ly effective
a e
behind s, and are th lar
a particu has been
g
openin means of armor, a
nd
ry
prima ion, providi nce. P.
ng a a s a m odel for
studied r better
locom
ot appeara la rm o r fo
r ac e fu l
han persona
slow, g is smaller t about i n at ions of
lus g co mb obility.
senega hirs, reachin protectio
n a n d m
ic
other b 14 in).
(
35.5 cm
 Ecological
Importance
• Some Polypterus are well known as living fossil,
providing evidence for the origin of paired limbs
from fish fins, and consequently as a missing link
between fishes and amphibians.
• Several species are harvested by humans for food and
aquaria.
• All bichir species are considered species of least
concern by the International Union for Conservation
of Nature and Natural Resources.
Thank You