Senegal Bichir
Polypterus senegalus · family Polypteridae
Parameters
- Temperature
- 24–28 °C
- pH
- 6–8
- Hardness
- 5–20 °dGH
- Tank volume
- from 200 L
- Maximum size
- up to 30 cm
- Group size
- min 1, ideal 1
- Temperament
- Predator
- Swimming zone
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Lifespan
- 8–15 years
Description
A prehistoric fish with lung breathing — it surfaces to gulp air. A predator, but not aggressive toward its own kind. A jumper — a tight lid is mandatory.
Care
Long tank (120+ cm), tight lid, sandy substrate.
Feeding
Frozen shrimp, bloodworm, fillet pieces. Not used to pellets.
Compatibility
Compatibility data not yet available.
FAQ
- Will the bichir eat small fish?
- Yes — anything smaller than its head is food. Tankmates must be the same size or larger.
Goldie editorial team
Practising aquarists with a combined 30+ years of experience · Biologists and editors, fact-checking against FishBase and Seriously Fish · Every piece is reviewed by a qualified ichthyologist before publication
Scientific board — ichthyologists and veterinarians
Ichthyologists and veterinarians with university degrees · Reference FishBase, Seriously Fish and peer-reviewed literature · Sign every reviewed article with their credentials shown
Sources
- Wikipedia: Polypterus senegalus · Wikipedia · 2026-05-22