Erpetoichthys
1 species
The reedfish, ropefish (more commonly used in the United States), or snakefish, Erpetoichthys calabaricus, is a species of fish in the family Polypteridae alongside the bichirs. It is the only member of the genus Erpetoichthys. It is native to fresh and brackish waters in West and Central Africa. The reedfish possesses a pair of lungs in addition to gills, allowing it to survive in very oxygen-poor water. It is threatened by habitat loss through palm oil plantations, other agriculture, deforestation, and urban development.
The reedfish inhabits slow-moving or standing, fresh or brackish, relatively warm tropical water, and usually in places with reeds or other dense plant growth. It occurs in Benin, Cameroon and Nigeria, spanning the area from the Ouémé River to the Sanaga River. There are old records from the Chiloango River in DR Congo and Cabinda in Angola, but these are unconfirmed and questionable.
The reedfish, ropefish (more commonly used in the United States), or snakefish, Erpetoichthys calabaricus, is a species of fish in the family Polypteridae alongside the bichirs. It is the only member of the genus Erpetoichthys. It is native to fresh and brackish waters in West and Central Africa. The reedfish possesses a pair of lungs in addition to gills, allowing it to survive in very oxygen-poor water. It is threatened by habitat loss through palm oil plantations, other agriculture, deforestation, and urban development.
The reedfish inhabits slow-moving or standing, fresh or brackish, relatively warm tropical water, and usually in places with reeds or other dense plant growth. It occurs in Benin, Cameroon and Nigeria, spanning the area from the Ouémé River to the Sanaga River. There are old records from the Chiloango River in DR Congo and Cabinda in Angola, but these are unconfirmed and questionable.