Senegal bichir
Polypterus senegalus
Also known as Dinosaur bichir
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–82°F
- 24–28°C
- pH
- 6.2–7.8
- Adult size
- 13.8 in
- 35 cm
- Minimum tank
- 143 gal
- 540 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Egg scatterer · Hard
- Rarity
- Very common
- Family
- Polypteridae
- Origin
- West and Central Africa
Overview
The Senegal bichir is a solitary, nocturnal predator for the bottom of a large tank. It is a good fit for a keeper with a little experience.
Did you know
A Senegal bichir is strong enough to leave the water for a while, using its lung to breathe air. A determined fish can travel across damp surfaces, which is how bichirs end up on the floor overnight.
Caring for the Senegal bichir
Keep one Senegal bichir on its own in a long tank of at least 143 gal (540 L). Give it soft sand to root through and several caves or pieces of driftwood to hide under during the day. Bichirs are escape artists and will push through any gap, so fit a very tight, fully weighted lid. Leave open space at the top so it can reach the surface, since blocking that access can drown it.
Hold the water at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) with a pH of 6.2 to 7.8. Senegal bichirs are nocturnal with poor eyesight and cruise the substrate by smell. Feed after lights out with meaty foods such as worms, prawns, mussel and sinking carnivore pellets. Drop the food close to them so faster tank mates do not steal it all.
They are mostly peaceful toward fish too large to eat, but they will swallow any tank mate that fits in the mouth. Pick robust companions of similar or larger size. Breeding in the home aquarium is hard. The eggs are scattered among plants, and the parents give no care.
Good to know
The Senegal bichir is a member of the family Polypteridae, an ancient lineage of ray-finned fish. Almost all Senegal bichirs in the trade are wild caught or commercially raised. They are very hardy and long-lived, often reaching 10 to 20 years in good conditions.
In the wild
Senegal bichirs come from slow rivers, floodplains and swamps across West and Central Africa. The water there is often warm and oxygen-poor, and they gulp air at the surface.
Common questions
What size tank does a Senegal bichir need?
A Senegal bichir needs at least 143 gal (540 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a Senegal bichir need?
A Senegal bichir is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 6.2–7.8.
What does a Senegal bichir eat?
A Senegal bichir eats meaty foods such as worms, prawns, mussel and sinking carnivore pellets, fed after lights out. Drop the food close to it so faster tank mates do not steal it.
How big does a Senegal bichir get?
An adult Senegal bichir reaches about 13.8 in (35 cm).
How does a Senegal bichir breed?
Senegal bichirs scatter their eggs among plants and give no parental care. Breeding them in a home aquarium is hard.
Related species
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Polypterus retropinnis
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Polypterus polli
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15.7 in (40 cm)119 gal (450 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Ansorge's bichir
Polypterus ansorgii
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