Senegal Bichir

[markandhisfish]

having had my senegal bichir for about 2 months ive totally fell in love with him but 1 thing bugs me just how the hell do you pronounce bichir?

 

[nmonks]

Nobody knows. It's an anglicisation of a French rendering of an Arabic spelling ("abu shir") of a native African word for the fish! That said, the second syllable is closer to "sheer" than the first syllables in "church" or "curt". So pronunciations like "biker" or "bircher" are certainly wrong.

It's probably something closer to the Arabic name "Bashir", but with a slightly different first syllable. Problem is, people look at you blankly when you call them this! In my opinion, this is a very good time to use the Latin name. Polypterus is quite easy to pronounce.

Cheers, Neale

 

[markandhisfish]

wow i have to say nmonks you certainly know your stuff. i had always called them ( spelt as i pronounced it) bursheers. me and the missus call him dogfish after the way he chomps his shrimp down just like a dog lol

 

[indigoj]

heard every pronunciation imaginable, bit-ch-ears, birchears, bursheers, bik-ears I reckon birchears or bursheers is closest to correct.

 

[nmonks]

wow i have to say nmonks you certainly know your stuff.

Very kind.

i had always called them ( spelt as i pronounced it) bursheers. me and the missus call him dogfish after the way he chomps his shrimp down just like a dog lol

Yes, these are serious personality fish. Polypterus senegalus does especially well in captivity, and seems to be adapt quickly to all sorts of foods. In many ways it is the perfect oddball: weird looking, but cute; hardy; adaptable, easy to feed; and not too big. It's a great community species as well, and with a few Congo tetras, a trio of dwarf upside-down catfish, and a couple of leopard Ctenopoma, it's hard to think of a better and more attractive oddball aquarium.

Cheers, Neale

 

[always4lora]

I refer to them as Bircher#s stick the R in there.
For a change Latin is easier! po-lyp'-terus.

If you want any of the name pronounciation of the sub species check out some of beblondie's posts.

 

[DarkEntity]

I gave up with Bichir and stick to Polypterus, much easier