Senegal Bichir Care Guide - Aquarium Setup, Diet & Breeding

The Senegal Bichir is an ancient-looking freshwater fish with a long, cylindrical body, a broad flattened head and a series of small, separate dorsal finlets along its back. Its brownish-grey colouring, dark markings and sturdy pectoral fins give it a prehistoric appearance, making it one of the most distinctive oddball fish kept by aquarists.

Polypterus senegalus belongs to an ancient lineage of ray-finned fishes and retains several features associated with early bony fish. In addition to gills, it can breathe atmospheric air through paired lungs, allowing it to survive in warm, stagnant or poorly oxygenated water and to spend short periods out of water when conditions permit.

This species is primarily nocturnal and spends much of the day resting among cover before becoming more active after dark. It uses its excellent sense of smell to locate prey and moves along the bottom with a deliberate, almost reptilian style. Although generally manageable with appropriately sized tankmates, it is an opportunistic predator.

In the wild, Senegal Bichirs inhabit muddy or sandy environments with dense marginal vegetation, submerged roots and plenty of hiding places. Their lineage dates back hundreds of millions of years, and their primitive appearance and lung-like air-breathing organs have earned them a special place among freshwater aquarium fishes.

Senegal Bichirs are native to tropical freshwater habitats across West and Central Africa, including the Senegal, Gambia, Volta, Niger and Chad river systems. They occur in slow-moving rivers, floodplains, swamps and temporary or seasonally flooded waters.

A single Senegal Bichir should be kept in an aquarium of at least 300 litres, with a footprint of around 150 x 50 cm; a larger aquarium is preferable as the fish matures. Use a secure, completely sealed lid because bichirs are powerful escape artists and regularly rise to the surface to breathe. Provide gentle to moderate filtration, good surface access and open swimming space alongside caves, smooth wood, rounded rocks and sturdy plants. Fine sand is the safest substrate because bichirs forage by rooting along the bottom, while sharp gravel and unstable decorations can injure them.

Senegal Bichirs can reach about 35 cm (14 inches) in aquariums, with exceptional wild specimens approaching 40 cm (16 inches). Females are usually slightly larger and heavier-bodied than males.

Senegal Bichirs are carnivorous predators that should receive a varied diet of sinking carnivore pellets, chopped prawns, mussel, earthworms, bloodworms, blackworms and appropriately sized frozen or live fish foods. Feed after the aquarium lights dim, when they are naturally most active. Avoid relying on feeder fish, particularly from uncertain sources, because they can introduce disease and provide an unbalanced diet.

Senegal Bichirs can live with peaceful, robust fish too large to swallow, including large peaceful characins, Congo Tetras, mature angelfish, suitably sized gouramis, larger rainbowfish and other calm bichirs. They should not be housed with small tetras, rasboras, livebearer fry, shrimp or other bite-sized fish, which may be treated as prey. Avoid fin-nipping species, highly aggressive cichlids and boisterous tankmates that compete for bottom space. Any companions should be peaceful enough not to harass the bichir and large enough to remain safe overnight.

Senegal Bichirs are difficult to breed in home aquariums and usually require a very large, mature setup. Spawning is encouraged by conditioning the fish with nutritious foods, providing excellent water quality and simulating seasonal changes with a gradual drop in temperature followed by warmer, softer, slightly acidic water. The male receives eggs from the female using his modified anal and caudal fins, then fertilises them before scattering them among fine-leaved plants or spawning mops. The adults should be removed because they may eat the eggs and young.

Sexual differences are subtle. Mature females are generally larger and broader through the abdomen, while males are typically smaller and have a noticeably thicker, broader anal fin used during spawning.