ID please

[DanDanUK]

Hi guys got this Polypterus today from ryan aka rusty9000

Anyways i'm struggling to id this fish, here's some pic's i'm not sure weather it's Polypterus delhezi or Polypterus endlicheri with just pale colouration, so if there are any specialists in this field i'd appreciate you help.

sorry these pic's are best i could do !

Thanks

Dan.

 

[stotty]

if its Polypterus endlicheri endlicheri (Saddled bichir, Red bichir ) it has Black spots present on the head, body and caudal fin. Prominent lower jaw is longer than the upper jaw. 11-15 dorsal finlets.

if its Polypterus delhezi (Armoured bichir, banded bichir )There are 7-8 dark vertical bands which vary in thickness between individuals. 10-13 dorsal finlets. The mouth is relatively small for the fish's size.

 

[Infblue]

it is neither. It's actually Polypterus weeksii. nice looking bichir

 

[stotty]

From the book if its Weeksii looking at the face it could be but here we go This species usually has a very clear distinction between the dark greyish-green dorsal surface and the whitish ventral surface. Several dark bands are present which may fork towards the bottom. The head is relatively large, giving rise to one of the common names of 'fat-headed' bichir. This species retains external gills much longer than most other Polypterus species. There are 9-11 dorsal finlets.

 

[DanDanUK]

it is neither. It's actually Polypterus weeksii. nice looking bichir

i can see where your coming from with the patterning on it's back because it look almost identical, but the rest of the body colour is like a senagl bichirs colour then it has these Polypterus weeksii looking pattering on it's back, i wonder could it possibly be a cross breed ?

it's hiding at the moment, but what i'll do is keep an eye out and try and take a better pic ! see if that helps !

thanks for your input tho it helps!

oh and mine has 10 dorsal fins ... if that helps and a big fat head!.

i think this may be a weaken strain of Polypterus weeksii, but i'd like to be 100% so i'll get more pic's when i can !

 

[Infblue]

no problem...more pics are always welcome

but with the ones you posted, i'm without a doubt absolutely positive it's weeksii for instance, you can see what stotty described (clear distinction between dorsal and ventral surface) in the last pic. as for the color, if you're referring to the the fact its light, it could be because it hasn't settled in yet, or due to the light substrate, or the individual, or a combination. also weeksii color can range from (light to dark) brownish to grayish to pretty dark, so i wouldn't say its a weaken strain. similarly senegal colors can also range from light tan/beige to dark gray

 

[Cohazard]

no problem...more pics are always welcome

but with the ones you posted, i'm without a doubt absolutely positive it's weeksii for instance, you can see what stotty described (clear distinction between dorsal and ventral surface) in the last pic. as for the color, if you're referring to the the fact its light, it could be because it hasn't settled in yet, or due to the light substrate, or the individual, or a combination. also weeksii color can range from (light to dark) brownish to grayish to pretty dark, so i wouldn't say its a weaken strain. similarly senegal colors can also range from light tan/beige to dark gray

Exactly what I was thinking. Nice weeksii

 

[Kenta]

+1 vote weeksii, upper jaw so def not an endi, and first thing i noticed was fat head

 

[beblondie]

weeksii-Anne

 

[beblondie]

Being an upper jaw Polypterid rules out P.e endlicheri or P.e.congicus with themakrings it leaves P.delhezi and P.weeksii as candidates the size of the head rules out P,delhezi and leaves us with P.weeksii-Anne