Senegal bichir (Polypterus senegalus senegalus )

Common Name:

Senegal bichir.

Other Names:

Cuvier's bichir & Nigerian bichir.

Scientific Name:

Polypterus senegalus senegalus.

Family:

Polypteridae.

Range:

Senegal, Nigeria, Gambia, Zaire

Size:

Up to 13 inches, but 10 inches is more common.

Diet:

These are nocturnal, carnivorous predators that enjoy a varied, meaty diet, including earthworms, live feeder fish, krill, whitebait, beef heart, Mysid shrimp, prawns, small freshwater crabs, 'superworms' (Zoophobas morio), various insects, baby mice, frogs, and sinking, pelleted carnivore fish foods. Although most hunting/feeding takes place after dark, some species and individuals will happily persue food during daylight hours as well.

Water Temperature:

77-82 degrees Fahrenheit (25-28 degrees Centigrade)

Photoperiods:

Aquarium lights on for 12-14 hours daily.

pH:

pH 6.5-8.2

Some Husbandry Notes:

Bichirs do best on substrates of sand, fine gravel, or bare tank bottoms, and liketanks with open spaces for free swimming, along with short, sturdy plants (busy types work well), rockery and submerged logs for hiding, and a few floating plants/logs to provide cover security.

Sexing:

Males have broader, thicker anal fins than do females, these fins will additionally increase in size during spawning.

Breeding:

Captive-spawning was first accomplished in the early 1960's, becoming commonplace in the early 21st century.

Miscellaneous:

Bichirs are capable of breathing atmospheric air (via a primitive lung similar to those of lungfishes) for several hours as long as they remain damp....escapes from aquariums (usually done accidentally during regular surface-breachings or mating jumps) are not uncommon, so a secure glass lid is advised at all times. Bichirs pectoral fins share a similar skeletal structure to coelacanths (Latimeria sp.), and can use these ins for surprisingly efficient locomotion over terrestrial surfaces. Bichirs possess ganoid scales....hard, enamelled scales that hinge, rather than overlap...other fish with these scales include gars and paddlefishes.

There are 14 currently accepted species and subspecies of bichir, ranging in size from the small Polypterus retropinnis lowei at 10", to the imposing Polypterus endlicheri congicus which can reach a maximum length approaching 40". Bichirs were first discovered by European scientists during Napolean's incursions into Africa in the late 1700's, with the most recent subspecies being officially described as recently as 1995,and are regularly caught by native Africans for food. Of the 13 types known, 5-6 species are commonly found in the aquarium trade in North America, and can be differentiated by a number of means, the most simple of which are head-shape, pattern/colour, and the number of dorsal fin rays each fish possesses.

Credit:

^©G. A. Christian Bilou 2003.