Bichirs: Polypteriformes

Bichirs feed mainly on invertebrates (in-VER-teh-brehts), or animals that lack a backbone. They eat insect larvae (LAR-vee), that is, insects in the early stage of development; snails; earthworms; and freshwater crustaceans (krus-TAY-shuns), or animals that live in water and have a soft, segmented body covered by a hard shell. They also eat fishes and amphibians (am-FIB-ee-uns), animals that live part of their lives on land and part in water. Bichirs are primarily nocturnal (nahk-TER-nuhl) predators (PREH-duh-ters), meaning that they are active at night and hunt and kill other animals for their food.