Birchar (Polypterus weeksi) is found in the warmer waters of Africa. This is one of the larger members of the genus Polypterus and this fish can grow to about 3 feet long. An unusual feature of this fish is the dorsal fin, which is actually a series of individual finlets. These are long narrow fish with large tails.

The birchar family (Polypteridae) contains about a dozen species of freshwater fish. There are two genera in this family. The Polypterus genus contains the majority of species. The Calamoichthys genus contains a single species. Both genera appear limited to tropical Africa.

The birchar order can be placed with the bony fish or can be placed with the sharks and rays. Much of the skeleton is cartilage. The birchars breath in a manner similar to sharks and rays. However, their scales remind one of the scales on gar fish.

Sharks and rays (Elasmobranchi), cartilaginous fishes, deserve to be a class separate from the normal fish, in that they do not have a bone skeleton but rather a cartilage skeleton.

Fertilization is internal in this class which also separates them from the bony fish class. Although there are a few fresh water species, the majority of the species in this class are found in salt water. As of 2005, there were about 500 known species of sharks and about 600 known species of rays.

David Ebert, author of a recent book on sharks, rays, and chimaeras of California, counts a total of 988 described species in the class with about 150 additional species awaiting scientific description. He breaks down the described species to 410 species of sharks, 543 species of rays, and 35 species of chimaeras.

Many species of sharks face an uncertain future, as the Chinese purchase shark fins to make shark fin soup. It was estimated that 100 milllion sharks are killed each year for this purpose. However, recent estimates indicate the Chinese are reducing their consumption of this exotic soup.

Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.

Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.

Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

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