What are the fish that Petsmart sells as "dragon eels?& - Page 2 - Aquarium Advice

Toirtis · 10-14-2005, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Menagerie

I guess it's all based on location.

Or the savant staff at the typical Petsmart.

Hrafnkel · 10-14-2005, 09:18 PM

Eh, might've been a bichir. I figured they were violet gobies because I've seen violet gobies called that before.. And maybe it was dinosaur eel. Come to think of it, they did look like a kind of bichir (how do you pronounce that anyway?) Can anyone give me a side-by-side comparison of a violet goby and a bichir?

**Devilishturtles** · 10-15-2005, 12:30 AM

The Violet Goby is blue/silver/purpleish while the bichir is more grey/black/brownish. VG is brackish and senegal prefers freshwater only. The bichir will get more than a foot long and is agressive, where as the violet goby is peacful and gets around 8 inches long. I think the most dinstinguishable characteristic at a glance would be the color.

Oh, and I always pronounched it bick-er.

Menagerie · 10-15-2005, 03:30 AM

beach-er is the way I have heard it pronounced.

beblondie · 10-15-2005, 04:53 AM

WHY BICHIR?

When Europeans (French) discovered the genus Polypterus in 1809 it had already been known along the Nile since the time of the pharoahs. The local peoples referred to them as bichirs (unknown pronunciation and spelling). While unable to come up with an exact meaning for the word it was most likely a descriptive term (''whip'' has been suggested) for this type of fish.

The French most likely pronounced it as phonetically as possible to the orginal native word and came up with bee-sheer as a pronunciation and spelled 'bichir'. Since this would be the name of these fish for
several years until they were scientifically described and put into the proper family it became an accepted common name.

However the correct English pronunciation is up for grabs. Several dictionaries all have their own pronunciation including the below:
bee cher
beech er
biker
*****er
bi cher
Also known by the common name lobed fin pike,dinosaur eel.
The name Polypterus : poly=many + pterus=fins and is pronounced po-lyp'-terus.

beblondie · 10-15-2005, 04:57 AM

never heard it pronounced beep but hey
At the petsmarts by me
Dragon eels = violet gobies
Dinosaur eels= P.senegalus
Ornate eels= P.ornatipinnis

willowthepoet · 10-16-2005, 05:17 PM

my petsmart sells violet gobies as "dragon fish" and bichers (pronunciation notwithstanding) as "dinosaur eels"

and those gobies can be aclimated to either freshwater OR marine?!?! (from the link devilishturtle posted) i didn't think that was possible!

10-14-2005, 09:18 PM	#12
Hrafnkel Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Highland, Texas Posts: 521	Eh, might've been a bichir. I figured they were violet gobies because I've seen violet gobies called that before.. And maybe it was dinosaur eel. Come to think of it, they did look like a kind of bichir (how do you pronounce that anyway?) Can anyone give me a side-by-side comparison of a violet goby and a bichir? __________________ 2.5gal: Empty 5gal: 2 Black Mystery Snails 10gal: 2 Mickey Mouse Platys (1M1F), 1 African Butterfly Fish, 3 Khuli Loaches 29gal: 1 Green Severum, 1 Convict, 3 Bronze Cories 55gal: 5 Bloodfin Tetras, 6 Black Skirt Tetras, 1 Blood Parrot, 1 African Brown Knife, 1 Striped Raphael, 1 Ropefish, 2 Clown Loaches, 1 Yoyo Loach, 1 Angelfish

10-15-2005, 03:30 AM	#14
Menagerie Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Vancouver, WA Posts: 11,266 Images: 77	beach-er is the way I have heard it pronounced. __________________

10-15-2005, 04:53 AM	#15
beblondie Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Illinios, USA Posts: 128	WHY BICHIR? When Europeans (French) discovered the genus Polypterus in 1809 it had already been known along the Nile since the time of the pharoahs. The local peoples referred to them as bichirs (unknown pronunciation and spelling). While unable to come up with an exact meaning for the word it was most likely a descriptive term (''whip'' has been suggested) for this type of fish. The French most likely pronounced it as phonetically as possible to the orginal native word and came up with bee-sheer as a pronunciation and spelled 'bichir'. Since this would be the name of these fish for several years until they were scientifically described and put into the proper family it became an accepted common name. However the correct English pronunciation is up for grabs. Several dictionaries all have their own pronunciation including the below: bee cher beech er biker *****er bi cher Also known by the common name lobed fin pike,dinosaur eel. The name Polypterus : poly=many + pterus=fins and is pronounced po-lyp'-terus. __________________ There can never be to many bichir creature keepers

10-15-2005, 04:57 AM	#16
beblondie Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Illinios, USA Posts: 128	never heard it pronounced beep but hey At the petsmarts by me Dragon eels = violet gobies Dinosaur eels= P.senegalus Ornate eels= P.ornatipinnis __________________ There can never be to many bichir creature keepers

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10-16-2005, 05:17 PM	#17
willowthepoet Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: NJ Posts: 182	my petsmart sells violet gobies as "dragon fish" and bichers (pronunciation notwithstanding) as "dinosaur eels" and those gobies can be aclimated to either freshwater OR marine?!?! (from the link devilishturtle posted) i didn't think that was possible!

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