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Ornate Bichir
Polypterus ornatipinnis
Animalia›Chordata›Actinopterygii›Polypteriformes›Polypteridae
📍 Congo Basin & East Africa
The most strikingly patterned bichir — bold black reticulations on a yellow-cream body with striking dorsal finlets. Ancestral fish with a functional lung; can breathe air. Nocturnal predator that eats tankmates small enough to swallow.
Keeping this species
- pH
- 6.5–7.5
- diet
- carnivore/live or frozen prey
- maxSize
- 18 inches
- minTankSize
- 90 gallons
- temperature
- 77–82°F (25–28°C)
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Temperature
77–82°F
25–28°C
Natural Habitat Temperature
75°F — 81°F seasonal range · (Jan low, Apr high)