1 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Nocturnal; peaceful with similar-size fish but eats anything that fits in the mouth.
174 species in our list are a good match.
Nocturnal; peaceful with similar-size fish but eats anything that fits in the mouth.
Sinking pellets, earthworms, prawns and frozen foods; feed in the evening.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Males have a thicker anal fin than females.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Egg-scatterer ·
Has been bred in aquaria but details are scarce. An egg scatterer that breeds in the rainy season: the male cups his anal fin to receive the eggs, fertilises them and scatters them among plants. Water changes in temperature and chemistry, soft slightly acidic water and dense planting are suggested.
Keep a group and condition them well.
A large tank or pond with plants and soft light.
Seasonal change or hormone injections at farms.
Probably a few hundred eggs per spawning (FishBase fecundity input 200-300), scattered among plants; eggs hatch in 3-4 days and fry swim freely about 3 days later.
Larvae have external gills and need tiny live food.
A marbled bichir from the Congo basin: grey-brown back with whitish spots, finely reticulated head and spotted fins. It is the largest of the 'upper-jawed' bichirs.
George Albert Boulenger described this bichir in 1902. Its vivid pattern makes it one of the most popular bichirs. Like all bichirs, it can breathe air with lung-like organs.
First described by George A. Boulenger in 1902. Named for 'ornatipinnis' means 'ornate fins'.
16 facts checked with sources
Valid name Polypterus ornatipinnis Boulenger, 1902. Seriously Fish files it under the misspelling 'ornatapinnis'; use 'ornatipinnis'.
Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: species of Polypterus (updated 21 Sep 2026) · FishBase: Polypterus ornatipinnis summaryLegacy has no family. Order Polypteriformes.
FishBase: Polypterus ornatipinnis summarySeriously Fish 60 cm SL; FishBase 60 cm TL. Both say 60 cm; Seriously Fish adds that aquarium fish usually stay smaller. Legacy 40 cm understates the potential size.
Seriously Fish: Polypterus ornatapinnis (Ornate Bichir) · FishBase: Polypterus ornatipinnis summarySeriously Fish 25-28 °C (preferred for husbandry); FishBase 26-28 °C. Legacy 24 °C minimum is below both.
Seriously Fish: Polypterus ornatapinnis (Ornate Bichir) · FishBase: Polypterus ornatipinnis summaryLegacy has no hardness.
Seriously Fish: Polypterus ornatapinnis (Ornate Bichir)180 x 60 x 60 cm = 648,000 cm³ = 648 L (Seriously Fish's own figure). Legacy 400 L is too small for an adult.
Seriously Fish: Polypterus ornatapinnis (Ornate Bichir)Solitary, non-schooling, so it can be kept singly. Seriously Fish lists other Polypterus as suitable tankmates.
FishBase: Polypterus ornatipinnis summaryPredator of anything that fits in its mouth; otherwise peaceful. Hunts mainly at night (FishBase).
Seriously Fish: Polypterus ornatapinnis (Ornate Bichir)Demersal = bottom-living. Facultative air-breather: needs access to the surface.
FishBase: Polypterus ornatipinnis summarySeriously Fish difficulty rating 'Moderate'; also needs a very large tank.
Seriously Fish: Polypterus ornatapinnis (Ornate Bichir)Legacy has no native range (legacy 'about' says Congo basin, which is correct). Seriously Fish also lists Burundi and Tanzania (Lake Tanganyika).
FishBase: Polypterus ornatipinnis summary · Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: species of Polypterus (updated 21 Sep 2026)Legacy female description (wider, deeper body) is not stated by the sources checked; only the thicker male anal fin is.
Seriously Fish: Polypterus ornatapinnis (Ornate Bichir)Legacy 'spawns in groups with slow current' is not supported; sources describe pair courtship (male chases and nudges the female). 'Rarely bred by hobbyists' agrees in substance.
Seriously Fish: Polypterus ornatapinnis (Ornate Bichir) · FishBase: Polypterus ornatipinnis summaryFishBase's Fec=200-300 is the fecundity figure used for its resilience estimate, not a direct count. Larvae have external gills (Seriously Fish).
FishBase: Polypterus ornatipinnis summary · Seriously Fish: Polypterus ornatapinnis (Ornate Bichir)Congo basin and marbled pattern confirmed; 'pattern highly variable' not stated by the sources. IUCN Least Concern (2009, via FishBase). Most bichirs sold are wild-caught (Seriously Fish).
FishBase: Polypterus ornatipinnis summary · Seriously Fish: Polypterus ornatapinnis (Ornate Bichir)