Polypterus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

iReedfish
Polypterus delhezi
Conservation status
Secure
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Polypteriformes Family: Polypteridae Genus: Polypterus
Species
P. ansorgii - Guinean bichir  P. bichir - Nile bichir  P. delhezi - barred bichir  P. endlicherii endlicherii - saddled bichir  P. endlicherii congicus - Congo bichir  P. ornatipinnis - ornate bichir  P. palmas - marbled or shortfin bichir  P. polli - Poll's bichir  P. retropinnis - West African bichir  P. senegalus - Senegal or gray bichir  P. weeksii - mottled bichir

Polypterus Lacepède, 1803, is a genus of freshwater fish in the bichir family (family Polypteridae) of order Polypteriformes. The type species is the Nile bichir (P. bichir). Fishes in this genus live in various areas in Africa (as the species' common names would indicate). The etymology of the genus name derives from a combination of the Latin prefix poly- (many) and the root word pteron (wing or fin) – "many fins."

[edit] References

• "Polypterus". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. May 2005 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2005.
• Polypterus (TSN 161059). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 4 May 2005.