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Polypterus delhezi Boulenger, 1899

Barred bichir
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Image of Polypterus delhezi (Barred bichir)
Polypterus delhezi
Picture by Germeau, G./ Doumont, Y.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Cladistii (bichirs) > Polypteriformes (Bichirs) > Polypteridae (Bichirs)
Etymology: Polypterus: Greek, poly = a lot of + Greek, pteron = wing, fin (Ref. 45335);  delhezi: Named after M. Delhez, collector of the first specimen of Polypterus delhezi (Ref. 1877).
More on author: Boulenger.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; demersal. Tropical; 26°C - 28°C (Ref. 2060)

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Africa: middle Congo River basin (Ref. 3188) in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Republic of Congo. Reports from the Shari (Chad basin)(Ref. 1878, 3047, 3049) unconfirmed in Ref. 81263.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 44.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 42908)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 10 - 13; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 11 - 14. Subcylindrical body (Ref. 42908). Upper and lower jaws reaching to the same level, or the lower jaw is a little shorter (Ref. 42873, Ref. 42901, Ref. 42908). Number of dorsal finlets: 10-13 (Ref. 42908, Ref. 51884). Pectoral fin not reaching dorsal fin origin (Ref. 41588). Ganoid scales (Ref. 42908): 52-58 lateral line scales, 36-40 scales around body, 12-17 predorsal scales (Ref. 41588, Ref. 42848, Ref. 42908, Ref. 51884). Dorsal side gray-olive colored, with 7 to 8 black transversal bars; ventral side yellowish, lighter on ventral side of head (Ref. 41580; Ref. 44841). Spots are forming a black line between the lips and suboperculum (Ref. 41580). Fins yellow with brown or black spots (Ref. 41580).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Facultative air-breathing (Ref. 126274); This carnivorous fish lives in streams, lakes and zones of flood (Ref. 41580). Reproduction and spawning occurs during the rainy season (Ref. 41580).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Reproduction occurs during the rainy season (Ref. 41580).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea and W.B. Scott, 1991. World fishes important to North Americans. Exclusive of species from the continental waters of the United States and Canada. Am. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. (21):243 p. (Ref. 4537)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 16 February 2009

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; aquarium: public aquariums
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growths
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
Recruitments
Abundances
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturities
Fecundities
Spawnings
Spawning aggregations
Egg(s)
Egg developments
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Anatomy
Gill areas
Brains
Otoliths
Physiology
Body compositions
Nutrients
Oxygen consumptions
Swimming type
Swimming speeds
Visual pigment(s)
Fish sounds
Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)
Genetics
Genetics
Electrophoreses
Heritabilities
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Outreach
Collaborators
Taxonomy
Common names
Synonyms
Morphology
Morphometrics
Pictures
References
References

Tools

Special reports

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Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Alien/Invasive Species database | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | Public aquariums | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoobank | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5002   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00457 (0.00195 - 0.01073), b=3.05 (2.85 - 3.25), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.2   ±0.25 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec=2,350; tmax likely > 15 years).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Low to moderate vulnerability (34 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Unknown.