Ornate bichir

Polypterus ornatipinnis

Sixty Centimeters Polypterid Fish of the Congo Basin

Tropical
Regional distribution
Freshwater fish
Africa
Elongated
Large
Tropical fish

Polypterus ornatipinnis, the ornate bichir, is a bony fish of the family Polypteridae found in Lake Tanganyika and the Congo River basin in Central and East Africa. It is known from the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Tanzania.

Class: Bichirs and Reedfish
Order: Bichirs and Reedfish
Family: Polypteridae
Genus: Polypterus
Maximum length: 60 cm
Water: Freshwater
Body shape: elongated
Distribution: Africa: Congo River basin in Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Ref. 3188 , Angola (Ref. 3188 , 120641 ) and Republic of Congo (Ref. 45477 ). Also reported from the Lake Rukwa drainage (Ref. 27292 ) and Lake Tanganyika basin (Ref. 4537 , 36901 , 54847 ).
Conservation status: LCLeast Concern

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