Named in honor of botanist Stephan Endlicher (1804–1849), who apparently discovered the species in the fish collection at the Naturhistorisches Museum (Vienna).

[4] The species reaches a maximum recorded length of about 63 cm (24.8 in) as an unsexed male.

[5] Their reproduction cycle begins in the rainy season when the chemistry of the water and temperature change.

[7] Polypterus endlicherii is recorded to be found in freshwater habitats within demersal depth ranges.

[5] This species is native to Cameroon, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Chad, the Ivory Coast, Mali, Sudan, Benin, and the Central African Republic.