{"product_id":"albino-bichir-polypterus-endlicherii","title":"Albino Bichir | Polypterus endlicherii","description":"\u003ch2\u003eDescription\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Albino Bichir is a rare, striking colour morph of one of the largest bichir species in the aquarium trade, with a pale white to pink-toned body and red eyes replacing the usual dark olive colouration. An ancient, prehistoric-looking predator capable of reaching up to 75cm, it is a true showpiece for advanced keepers with the space to house it long-term.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eNatural Habitat\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe wild-type Polypterus endlicherii is native to rivers, floodplains, and marshy backwaters across West and Central Africa, including the Chad, Niger, and Nile basins, where it hunts in slow-moving, vegetated, oxygen-poor waters using its lung-like swim bladder to breathe atmospheric air. The albino form seen in the trade is a captive-bred colour variant of this wild species, not a form found in nature.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAppearance\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn elongated, eel-like body encased in thick, bony ganoid scales, with a row of separate spiny dorsal finlets running down the back and paired, leg-like pectoral fins. The albino form lacks normal pigmentation, giving it a pale cream to pinkish-white body and pink or red eyes, a striking contrast to the mottled olive-brown of the wild type and one of the rarest colour forms available in a giant bichir species.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eTemperament and Compatibility\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eA patient, mostly nocturnal ambush predator that is generally docile and unbothered by tankmates too large to swallow, but will eat any fish or invertebrate small enough to fit in its mouth. Individuals can coexist with other large, size-appropriate bichirs and robust fish, but should never be trusted with small or slow tankmates.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFeeding\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eA committed carnivore that feeds on meaty foods such as prawn, mussel, whitebait, earthworms, and other fish. Most specimens can eventually be trained onto large sinking carnivore pellets, though live and frozen foods are readily taken and help condition breeding-age fish.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eCare Requirements\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eGiven its eventual size, this species needs a very large, secure tank with a tight-fitting lid, as bichirs are capable of squeezing through small gaps and are surprisingly strong. Provide a soft sand substrate to protect its sensitive barbels, dim lighting, and driftwood or rockwork hides. As an obligate air-breather it must have regular access to the surface, and strong filtration is essential to manage the waste load of a large predatory fish.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eBreeding\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eRarely bred in the home aquarium and almost all specimens in the trade are wild-caught or produced via hormone-induced spawning by commercial breeders. In nature it is an egg scatterer that spawns during the rainy season among flooded vegetation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSpecies Information\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eScientific Name\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePolypterus endlicherii\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCommon Name\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAlbino Bichir (Albino Saddled\/Endlicher's Bichir)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOrigin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWest \u0026amp; Central Africa (captive-bred albino morph)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaximum Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eUp to 75cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLifespan\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e15-20 years\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTemperament\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePredatory\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDifficulty\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAdvanced\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMinimum Tank Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1000L (juveniles), scaling up with growth\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRecommended Tank Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2300L+ (210x120x90cm) for a full-grown adult\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDiet\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCarnivore\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWater Temperature\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e22-27°C\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003epH Range\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e6.0-8.0\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGH Range\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5-25 dGH\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSalinity\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFreshwater (tolerates mild brackish conditions)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSuitable For\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eExperienced keepers with large predator\/oddball tanks\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eReef Safe\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNo\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePlant Safe\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNo (large-bodied and will uproot most plants)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSuitable Tank Mates\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eOther large, size-appropriate bichirs, big Synodontis catfish, arowana, and similarly large, robust cichlids or characins that can hold their own and are too large to be eaten.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAvoid Keeping With\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAny fish or invertebrate small enough to be swallowed, including small community fish, shrimp, and juvenile tankmates, as well as aggressive fin-nippers that could target its sensitive barbels and finlets.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nick's Aquarium Oceanarium Terrarium","offers":[{"title":"Small (1-5cm)","offer_id":55411434488099,"sku":"AA5400-S","price":820.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Medium (5-10cm)","offer_id":55411434520867,"sku":"AA5400-M","price":945.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Large (10-15cm)","offer_id":55411434553635,"sku":"AA5400-L","price":1085.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"X-Large (15-75cm)","offer_id":55411434586403,"sku":"AA5400-XL","price":1249.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/nicksaquariumoceanariumterrarium.com.au\/products\/albino-bichir-polypterus-endlicherii","provider":"Nicks AOT","version":"1.0","type":"link"}