Polypterus's a genus of freshwater fish in the bichir family (family Polypteridae) of order Polypteriformes. The type species's the Nile bichir (P. bichir). Fishes in this genus live in various areas in Africa (as the species' common names would indicate). The etymology of the genus name derives from a combination of the Greek prefix poly- (many) and the root word pteron (wing or fin) – "many fins."… (More on Polypterus)