Common names:
Bichir
Lugungu: Mtonta Alur: Otell

Taxonomic tree
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish)
Order: Polypteriformes (Bichirs)
Family: Polypteridae (Bichirs)
Genus: Polypterus
Species: Polypterus senegalus (Cuvier, 1829)
Number of Occurrancies: 38

Etymology(based on Sharpf & Lazara, 2018)

• Polypterus: poly, meaning many; pteron, meaning fin, referring to multiple dorsal finlets instead of single dorsal fin


• senegalus: Senegalese (described from Senegal)

Synonyms: click here to view synonyms

Type locality: Senegal. Types at Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)

Distinguishing characters for the genus

• Dorsal fin composed of separate finlets, each consisting of a single spine with several articulated rays supporting the membrane; the first finlet being widely separated from the tip of the pectoral fin


• Thick bony, rhombic scales, with an enemal-like covering , the paired gular plates which lie between the rami of the lower jaw, and the distinct scaly peduncal of the pectoral fin.


• A true external gill which lies immediately behind and above the operculum

Distinguishing characters for the species (only one species occurs in Uganda): The characters used to identify the genus above suffice to identify the species in Ugandan waters. On color, adult fish are uniform olive-grey, almost khaki. Young fish may may be conspicuously marked with dark longitudinal bands, which disappear at an early age.

Taxonomic remarks: When first described, polypteridae were placed in the order Crossopterygii, an ancient group of interest following the discovery of living representative Coelecanth, Latimeria. The anatomy and skeleton of polypterus show a combination of archaic and specilised characters. The air bladder, which in most fishes fucntion as a hydrostatic device (i.e. buoyancy), in polypterus serves also as an accessory respiratory organ. However, the resemblance between polypterus and Crossopterygii are only superficial.

Distribution in Uganda

Lake Albert, Victoria Nile below Murchison falls. Fossil records from Kavirondo proovince of Kenya (Lake Victoria) and in Lake Edward basin suggest the genus existed in the lakes during the miocene (about 25 million years ago).

Occurence: Native

Habitat: Demersal, living and feeding mainly at the bottom, and common in the marginal areas of lakes and rivers particulary where there is emergent vegetation.

Feeding: Little is known about the food of this species, few specimens examined pointed to fish and small frogs as predominant food.

Biology: The total length of the largest recorded specimen from Uganda was 42 cm. The species is ready to spawn during the rain season, but nothing is known as to the place or model of spawning. Since cement glands, which secrete an adhesive mucus, occur on the head of larval fishes, it is likely that the young are attached to submerged plants.

Economic importance/End use: Polypterus is of no econmic value

IUCN conservation status: click here to view IUCN status

Threats: Unknown

Main references

• Greenwood PH. 1966. The fishes of Uganda. The Uganda Society, Kampala. 131 pages.


• Sharpf C, Lazara J.K. 2018. Fish Name Etymology Database v4. www.etyfish.org