Polypterus migration

[Polyaddict86]

So since ive join MFK polypterus section we been always having a debate about if poly migrate or move from river to river.
Ex. A koloton and a koliba might be the same fish that just move from river to river or when they are ready to mate or spawn they migrate to a certain place. Same as a tinkisso endli and faranah endli that if they move from one river to the next river since tinkisso river connects to niger river.

So i did some reading last night and read this book called
THE LIFE HABIT OF POLYPTERUS.
https://books.google.com/books?id=t...MjAF#v=onepage&q=polypterus migration&f=false

Here they talked about poly migration

In the second picture last pharagraph they said that poly are not migratory fish, and from what i understand from the book that both female and male poly lived in the same water all year round. Read the book it has alot of info.

 

[tlindsey]

Thanks for sharing☺

 

[kno4te]

I thought it was a migration to your tank Polyaddict86 .

 

[Polyaddict86]

I thought it was a migration to your tank Polyaddict86 .

Lmao that be awesome if they do migrate in my tank

 

[Vancouver_98683]

This is a great report from Nathan Russel Harrington. Another pioneering zoologist from the turn of the 19th century. Right around the time John Samuel Budgett was also studying the Polypterus genus.

N.R. Harrington concluded that polypterus in his area did not migrate. That they stayed in the same general areas during spawning.

J.S Budgett concluded polys did migrate. His extensive research provided more details. Including larvae development. There's a few below. He's got more, but don't want to overload ya'all.

Both men agree that female specimens were much greater than males when collected. Therefore, most wild caught polys in our tanks are likely mostly female.


Samuel Budgett's Research:

Page: 237-239
https://books.google.com/books?id=VB3VAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA239&dq=why+female+polypterus+more+than+male&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiMwYSjup7UAhVn4IMKHVzRBcgQ6AEIJTAA#v=onepage&q=why female polypterus more than male&f=false


https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/breeding-habits-larvae-development.688223/

 

[Polyaddict86]

Is this why its hard to catch a polypterus meridionalis? Since its water is a dangerous place and they dont like to migrate?

 

[Vancouver_98683]

Is this why its hard to catch a polypterus meridionalis? Since its water is a dangerous place and they dont like to migrate?

My opinion is their migration is not a large distance. River, to lake, to creek, to pool of water, back to creek, back to lake, back to river, etc... So to collect meridionalis and Turkana specimen is still dangerous. Cuz bullets can cover long distances.

 

[Polyaddict86]

My opinion is their migration is not a large distance. River, to lake, to creek, to pool of water, back to creek, back to lake, back to river, etc... So to collect meridionalis and Turkana specimen is still dangerous. Cuz bullets can cover long distances.

But can any poly migrate a long distance river like tinkisso river to niger river? I know they are connected but will a poly from dabola(tinkisso river) will swim to faranah(niger river)?

 

[Experiment397]

Sweet! Thanks for the new reading material! Glad I'm not the only one that searches for old naturalist journals about fish

 

[Hendre]

Interesting!

Sweet! Thanks for the new reading material! Glad I'm not the only one that searches for old naturalist journals about fish

Now i'm imagining a bunch of old men in the nude wading through marshes to study fish, thanks naturalists