What Does Bichir Mean?
Bichir is a type of ray-finned fishes. They belong to the polyteridae family in the order of Polypteriformes. They possess thick bonelike scales. Another of their specialty is that they have a series of dorsal finlets topped with sharp spines instead of a single fin. They have a lot of primitive features. Fleshy pectoral fins, spiracles, rudimentary lungs are all evidences of this fact. Their lungs help them to get oxygen from the air when there is a lack of it in the water. These species of fishes dwell in freshwater habitats in Africa, swampy and shallow floodplains and estuaries. They are a popular breed for large hobby aquaria. There are two genera of these fishes. They are Genus Erpetoichthys and Genus Polypterus. They fall under the Actinopterygii class.
