Other Freshwater and Brackish Water Fish
Senegal bichir
Polypterus senegalus
Photo: 5snake5 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Key facts
- Temperature24–28 °C
- pH6–8
- Minimum tank250 l
- Adult size30 cm
- Difficulty★★☆☆☆
- TemperamentSemi-aggressive
- WaterFresh
Full profile
- Family
- Polypteridae
- Origin
- West and Central Africa (Senegal to the Nile)
- Size
- 30 cm
- Temperature
- 24 – 28°C
- pH
- 6.0 – 8.0
- GH
- 4 – 20 °dGH
- Difficulty
- ★★☆☆☆
- Water type
- tropical freshwater
- Swimming level
- bottom
- Behavior
- semi-aggressive (eats any fish that fits in its mouth)
- Minimum number of individuals
- 1
- Minimum aquarium size
- 250 L
- Diet
- carnivorous (shrimp, fish, worms, sinking pellets)
- Reproduction
- oviparous; rare in aquariums
Notes: A prehistoric fish with primitive lungs that comes to the surface to breathe. An escape artist: the lid must be tightly closed with no gaps.
