Hi all, today i decided to put a theory of mine to the test, that polypterids are actually a very efficient predator, capable of more than just waiting for something to park in front of them!

I took the subject, a 9inch male polypterus weeksii and placed him in a tank that had a sandy bottom, a large clump of grass like plants in the centre, some wood in one cornor and a rock pile in the other cornor, lighting was provided by a hooded lamp as id run out of plug sockets!

ok sounds an odd setup i know, but i had my idea that he would either enter the rocks or under the wood to snach at prey, or snake in the grass and wait, i was wrong!

I introduced 8 feeders to the tank, and the P.weeksiis initial reaction was to drift towards them slowly and purposefully, as if immitating a stick, as the feeders were skittish they shied away from him, it didnt do his temper much good and resorted to lashing out randomly at the feeders to no avail.

The next bit surprised me though

Remember how i had a lamp ligthing the tank? well that caused shadows from the grass. P/weeksii has a banded pantern, and i assumed that he would chose to wait in the grass itself, but no it didnt. The polypterid moved into the shade and half buried itself, with its back and its head exposed. With its dull grey colour and black bands,and its fins and white belly safley buried in the sand it was fairly difficult to spot. It wasnt long until he claimed a feeder!

Curious i picked the lamp up and moved it to the otherside of the tank. The polypters waited a moment and slunk through the grass, into the shade and burried itself again, i repeated this a few times and it simpley moved to stay in the shade each time!

whoever said fish were stupid?