Polypteridae Sizes (lengths)

[gahardy]

While inquiring about some P. ansorgii I am contemplating buying I ran into a problem I had not thought of before. The difference in what science knows and what dealers and enthusiasts know about the species of Polypteridae, in this case, max. size of the different species. FishBase states a max. total length for P. ansorgii at 28 cm or 11 inches. The dealer (who is well known and well respected in the community) told me that he has had a P.ansorgii pass through his business that was 27 inches or 68.6 cm! well over twice the size found in any museum collection anywhere. To verify the science (museum) records I wrote the Curator of fishes, Royal Museum for Central Africa who informed me, yes, there are only about seven specimens known from collections and the largest is 28 cm or 11 inches.


So I would like your help in this matter. For some time now I have been compiling a paper on Polypteridae; facts, general knowledge and care. I am posting here a jpg. of a chart I made showing the known species and subspecies and the max. (total length) size of each species and subspecies as stated at FishBase. If you know of any individual fish that was or is larger then the max. size known to science please reply to this post.

 

[Burbotman]

Should be an interesting thread. In the stickies there is some great reference material on max sizes by Anne. I have always thought it would be great to have a "practical" fish keepers max size chart. For example we all know that Congicus get large but to have material that lists their max size as 39" is somewhat misleading to hobbists. The largest I believe kept on this site is between 25 and 29 inches which while huge is nowhere near a 39" fish in housing requirements. Same could be said for PEE. Good luck with your chart.

 

[peewee]

those are sizes of wild specimens. wow! a 19" senegalus is crazy!

 

[tokyogasmask]

We have Ansorgii, Bichir Bichir and Congicus going up to 85cm here in Japan.
That's 33". So the idea of a piece 5" bigger out there in the wild is not that crazy thought.

Now these bigger sized fish are going to cost you SERIOUS money.

82cm (missing a large chunk of caudal fin so 84cm is likely)

There is a member from another forum that posted a pic of a 31" Endlicheri next to a tape measure too!

 

[gahardy]

All max. (total) lengths are from FishBase and are of fishes in museum collections, so yes there is a specimen somewhere to back up all of the charts max. sizes

 

[Delhezi222]

The known total length of E. calabaricus is a bit small, I've seen specimens in person that were larger than that. I'm also willing to bet that there are teugelsii, ornates, and weeksii that are slightly larger than the sizes listed, considering that I've seen specimens owned by members on here that are as large as the sizes listed. That list is mostly good, although I find it interesting that they list a known size of P. senegalus meriodonalis, since there is very little to no information about them, or even a confirmation of their existence for that matter.

 

[gahardy]

although I find it interesting that they list a known size of P. senegalus meriodonalis, since there is very little to no information about them, or even a confirmation of their existence for that matter.

Well there are 51 specimens listed as such in museum collections around the world. Now if on farther study they should turn out to be invalid that is to be seen. For myself, I do not deal with subspecies for as far as I am concerned (and I know this is not very scientific thinking) there is no difference between subspecies and local variation. For me in my personal papers, writings and stats a species is a species.

It would be great if anyone with specimens of species listed in Delhezi222 post, that are larger then the known or reported size (which ever is largest) could reply here.

I am going to amend the first entry to show a running listing of the max. sizes given here.

 

[gahardy]

OK guess is has been too long since I wrote that post, it wont let me edit so I guess I will have to do it here:

Erpetoichthys calabaricus (37 cm / 14.6")
Polypterus ansorgii (85 cm / 33.5")
Polypterus bichir bichir (85 cm / 33.5"")
Polypterus bichir katangae (46 cm / 18.1")
Polypterus bichir lapradei (74 cm / 29.1")
Polypterus congicus (97 cm / 38.2")
Polypterus delhezi (44 cm / 17.3")
Polypterus endlicheri (78.7 cm / 31")
Polypterus mokelembembe (28.7 cm / 11.3")
Polypterus ornatipinnis (60 cm / 23.6")
Polypterus palmas buettikoferi (43.1 cm / 17")
Polypterus palmas palmas (30 cm / 11.8")
Polypterus palmas polli (39.2 cm / 15.4")
Polypterus retropinnis (32.5 cm / 12.8")
Polypterus senegalus meridionalis (85.4 cm / 33.6")
Polypterus senegalus senegalus (50.5 cm / 19.9")
Polypterus teugelsi (50.6 cm / 19.9")
Polypterus weeksii (54 cm / 21.3")

RED = a fish where the reported size (on this thread) is larger then the known size

Special thanks to tokyogasmask

by the way you mentioned 4 species but you did not say what the fish in the pic is

Nice fish though

 

[JamesF]

I don't have any record fish for polys unfortunately. I'll have to get a measurement of my largest ropefish. She's pretty hefty.

 

[gahardy]

Cool. My 3 are all about 13"