Senegal bichir

Care at a glance

The Senegal bichir is a living fossil: bichirs have existed for hundreds of millions of years and carry armour of hard, glossy scales with a row of separate finlets along the back. It breathes partly with lungs and must therefore come up for air regularly.

It is short-sighted and hunts largely by smell, so feed it deliberately with frozen foods at the end of the day. Keep it with fish too large to swallow, seal the lid well because it climbs out, and provide a soft bottom with caves.

Good to know

• Active at night
• Outgrows most home tanks
• Preys on shrimp and snails
• Known jumper — cover the tank

Best not combined with

• Neon tetraParacheirodon innesi
• GuppyPoecilia reticulata
• Cherry shrimpNeocaridina davidi

Related species

• Black ghost knifefishApteronotus albifrons
• RopefishErpetoichthys calabaricus
• African butterflyfishPantodon buchholzi
• Elephant nose fishGnathonemus petersii
• Bumblebee gobyBrachygobius doriae
• Leopard bush fishCtenopoma acutirostre