Those fins on their heads

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
S

scottv

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 29, 2006
394
4
0
40
Minnesota
I've seen some pics/vids of Endlicheri with big fins on their heads, as they get larger they become like huge frills. Totally awesome looking! Like a dragon.

Question is, how come I've only seen it on some of them? Are they all supposed to look like that eventually?

I have a 13" Lapradei and was wondering if it will ever have a pair. It shows no signs of em so far.

Thanks.
 
Those are not fins. They are external gills. ALL baby/juvy bichirs (and ropefish) have them, at first they'll grow in size as the baby fish grows, but after a certain stage, they will start to shrink and retract as the fish grows further.

The size of the fish at which the external gills are completely gone depends partly on the species, and partly on the individuals and the environment. But ALL bichirs (and ropefish) WILL eventually lose those external gills. So your 13" lapradei is already past that stage and won't have them anymore.
 
scottv;2308557; said:
So that one in the "Chinese Dragon" thread is still losing it's right?

But I saw this video on youtube with a HUGE endlicheri....them big fat ones with a huge frill gill. I will try to find the video and post it up. It looks so dang cool!
Click to expand...

looks cool, but like infblue said, they'll be gone. Endlis and dels tend to keep it longer IME, while senegals lose theirs almost immediately. Even if they do keep them longer, they tend to get bitten off by their tankmates and other bichirs lol
 
scottv;2308557; said:
So that one in the "Chinese Dragon" thread is still losing it's right?
Click to expand...
exactly. if you look at all the pics in order, you'll see what i meant. at first, those external gills grow as the baby bichir grows, but after a certain point, they start shrinking, and the rate of shrinking has been increasing fast. soon they'll be gone.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom