Polypterus senegalese (Polypterus senegalus). Polypterus fish - maintenance and reproduction

Fish-snake or dragon - these are the epithets bestowed on these creatures. They resemble an eel, but even in nature they do not grow more than 70 centimeters in length. It is the modest size, by the standards of natural reservoirs, that makes it possible to settle such fish as polypterus Senegalese in the aquarium.

Features of the view

Polypterus senegalese is native to Africa. He lives mainly in the White Nile and the Congo. The fish is also called gray polypterus (Cuvier). This is one of the most unusual freshwater fish, for which she received the recognition and love of aquarists. In addition, it is the oldest of the ray-finned fish. Their history has been tracked since the Paleozoic era, and these species have survived unchanged to the present day.

Description

The body of the fish is serpentine, elongated, but practically not flattened from the sides. The pectoral fins have a fleshy blade at the base. Polypterus Senegalese is so interesting that once you see it, you will not forget. He has a wide head resembling a crocodile, very interesting gill covers having a mosaic structure. The body is covered with unique rhombic (ganoid) scales. The splendor is complemented by a dragon crest along the ridge and a mustache like a catfish. The color is silver-gray with a blue tinge. Even more interesting is the albino polypterus Senegalese. It occurs somewhat less frequently, differs in marble-white color. An amazing way to move along the bottom, using the pectoral fins as a support, will be admired by all members of the aquarist's family.

Physiology

Polypterus Senegalese has an interesting feature - it has a double swim bladder that opens from the abdominal side and acts as a lung. It gives a lot of pleasure to observe these fish precisely because of their respiratory system. They constantly rise to the surface to swallow air. It should be noted that they will not be able to breathe exclusively atmospheric air, but they will die without it, that is, it is practically a transitional form between a fish and a lizard.

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In nature, Polypterus Senegalese inhabits quiet backwaters and lagoons. These fish are predatory, they feed on any small fish and other animals caught in the river. They usually spawn in July, the caviar is quite small.

Environmental requirements

Polypterus Senegalese are not as common as many would like. If it is easy to get it in Moscow, then in many small cities you need to try very hard for this. But this is compensated by the livability and unpretentiousness of the fish. First of all, you will need a large aquarium. If your reservoir is less than 200 liters, then this option is not suitable for fish.

To fully enjoy the life of these charming creatures, it is advisable to have an aquarium of 300 liters or more. The water temperature should be 25-28 degrees, the pH is about 7. Be sure to take care of good filtration and aeration. Water replacement should be 30% weekly.

Lifestyle

In nature, it is a nocturnal predator, so as soon as dusk descended, go and observe what your Senegalese polypterus is doing. The photo will not convey all the charm of the fish, especially at the moments of its activity"Graceful "dancing", rapid jumping to the surface for air and smooth sliding down - all this is good to watch late at night, looking out of bed at the aquarium. It is important to keep the lid closed, as these fish can jump out, and do not top up the water to the top edge so that they can breathe air.

In general, based on the observations of aquarists, we can say that these fish are extremely hardy. Adults survive in almost any containers, without aeration and thermal control. But, of course, it is better to organize good conditions for your pets.

Aquarium equipment

In the evening and at night, the habitat of these fish is the surface of the water. Here they feed and frolic. When the day comes, they go down to the bottom, where they stand or move on their front fins. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a sufficient number of plants (real or artificial), as well as to build grottoes and install snags that will protect from daylight.

The soil should be chosen dark, fine and loose. Polypterus does not harm plants and does not dig in the ground. Nevertheless, it is necessary to clean up the pollution in time, because such a large fish will cause the turbidity to rise only by the movement of the body.

Feeding

If you have always dreamed of a large and quite "smart" fish, then the best find is polypterus Senegalese. The content will not cause labor, especially since they are in good health. Since it is a predator, then vegetable (as well as dry) feeds will not be useful to you. The moth will go with a bang. You can also give finely chopped fillets of fish, for example, pollock. After some adaptation, the polypterus begins to take the earthworm. If you want, you can teach him to cut beef, squid or shrimp.

Feeding a polypterus is a whole ritual. The fish quickly begins to recognize the owner and approach the edge of the aquarium at the sight of him. The day is not far off when the "dragon" will take a piece out of his hands. You will not need to worry about the extra food that spoils the water in the aquarium. As soon as the pet stopped coming back for a new portion - that's enough. For adults, you can arrange unloading for one or two days.

Reproduction

There are often problems with this. Polypteruses are bad parents, they scatter caviar around the aquarium, while they themselves willingly eat it. Therefore, black fertilized eggs have to be collected and transferred to an incubator. After hatching, feeding problems begin. Small food for guppies is useless, fry do not eat it. Live nauplia of artemia are better suited, but they have to be launched a lot so that the polypterus babies have time to eat as many more floundering individuals as they need. Fry are indifferent to corpses, and since they lead to the development of pathogenic bacteria, everything that remains after lunch should be removed. This is jewelry work. But the grown-up individuals are pleased with a wonderful appetite and lack of hassle.

How will other aquarium fish feel with him?

Polypterus Senegalese is a territorial fish, besides predatory. This should be remembered, since at night he is quite capable of hunting anything smaller than him. If the aquarium is small or there are a lot of polypteruses living in it, there may be clashes between relatives. Therefore, it is not necessary to endanger other pets, it is better to put an additional aquarium.

These are bright and interesting fish, so if you are still thinking about who you want to see in your aquarium, pay attention to them.