my bichirs thread

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All are very nice Ricky, knew you had a gigantic polli but didn't realize you had a huge palmas as well, that thing is enormous!!

I like the lapen, it does have a similar pattern to the koliba, love the shot of it going up for air

thanks Paul!

Interesting pattern on the "Lapen" with a weird endli pattern but the colour on the head suggest lap. funky.

Stunning Polli and Tinkisso lap.

thanks Jakob!

This is my favorite bichir substrate, decor and lighting combo I've seen, Would love to duplicate it.

Thanks! I have the 3M colorquartz. As for decor, i only have a few pieces of driftwoods scattering around. i initially wanted to add some anubias plants but never got around to it. As for lighting, i'm using 6700K.

 

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some people are wondering about the differences between the 'Lapen' and sp. Dabola, so here's my view on this based on my specimens.

NOTE i'm only describing the differences i see with my 'Lapen'. I've come across different so-called 'Lapen' on different japanese sites, and they don't all look the same. Could be due to different interpretation, or someone using the term loosely to describe a bichir from Guinea that looks a little endli and a little lap. Anyway, couple people in Japan told me that my fish would be called 'Lapen' in Japan, and that's why i was using that name. I don't really know if mine has the standard look or not.

There are two sets of pics below. First one of each set is 'Lapen', second is sp. Dabola, and third is a Guinea lap. My 'Lapen' has a similar pattern to the Dabola, but there are minor differences (patterns toward the belly, 'lines' on the side etc). On the other hand, my Dabola pattern actually looks much closer to that particular Guinea lap. I guess it's possible that particular 'Guinea lap' is actually a Dabola, but i got it as a Guinea lap long before the name Dabola appeared, so there's no way of knowing that now.

The major differences i see between my 'Lapen' and Dabola are actually the shape of the fish and the overall look. The pics might not show this well. The Dabola isn't as wide as an endli, and it gives off more of a lap-like feel or something in between, i guess. My 'Lapen' is proportionally wider, giving off an endli feel, although the head looks something in between.

 

[Hao]

wow very cool! i wanna Lapen now idk where to get one perhaps Ricky shed some light

 

[King-eL]

Thanks Ricky for posting the comparison. Not sure if they are wild hybird as the Guinea lap and guinea endli that got hybridized in captivity looks nothing like those. So Guessing that sp. dabola and sp. lapen are both pure blood species. I will try to post pics if that hybrid when I catch it out in the open. It hides a lot in my tank. Also Nigerian endli and nigerian lap hybrid looks very different from this hybrid as well.

 

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wow very cool! i wanna Lapen now idk where to get one perhaps Ricky shed some light

honestly i wouldn't know. obviously I got mine from Toyin, but like I said, it came mixed in with a group of shipment he got, meaning it was never shipped to Toyin under some special name or whatever. Also, keep in mind the name "Lap-En" as the Japanese call it is probably only used in Japan. I don't think people outside of Japan (except for us who are informed) would even know what "Lap-En" is.

Thanks Ricky for posting the comparison. Not sure if they are wild hybird as the Guinea lap and guinea endli that got hybridized in captivity looks nothing like those. So Guessing that sp. dabola and sp. lapen are both pure blood species. I will try to post pics if that hybrid when I catch it out in the open. It hides a lot in my tank. Also Nigerian endli and nigerian lap hybrid looks very different from this hybrid as well.

you're welcome. would love to see some pics of the guinea lap/endli hybrid and nigerian lap/endli hybrid!
and yeah it's possible "Lap-En" isn't a simple guinea lap/endli hybrid. It could be a variant of some sort, or some intermediate species/subspecies, or something that results from long term crossing between different lap/endli variants. who knows...

 

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my 20" ansorgii. Patterns are very very subdued. Got it at 16" two years ago, and after two years, i think i've given up hope on its patterns ever showing

 

[Hao]

very nice ansorgii!

 

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Nice Ansorgii and lapen?




Steve

 

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thanks Hao.

Nice Ansorgii and lapen?

Steve

thanks Steve.

"Lap-En" or "Guinea Lap-En" is what the japanese call it, and i don't believe that term is used anywhere else, so most people would not have heard of it. I was using it for ease of conversation, since the alternative would be "Polypterus sp." or "Polypterus sp. Guinea", which would be tedious and vague.

If i'm not mistaken, "Lap-En" obviously stands for lapradei/endli, and the japanese call it that because it looks like some kind of hybrid of lap/endli variants, or at the very least has characteristics of both.


BTW for those interested, below are two photo links of the "Lap-En". You can see how it's changed since then.

Jan 2008
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1742056&postcount=1

May 2008
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1815346&postcount=30

 

[King-eL]

Yeah their are plenty in the Japanese sites that are called lapen. Only if Toyin can get them. I want some.