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Encyclopedia / Oddballs & Predators / Senegal bichir
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Variations

2 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Senegal bichir

Polypterus senegalus · Bichir, Dinosaur eel, Dragon fin

Eats sleeping small fish at night; escape artist.

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50 cmBody length, without tail ✓
24–28 °CTemperature ✓
6–8pH ✓
540 LSmallest tank ✓
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Not recommended
  • Senegal bichir eats animals up to about 4 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
Not recommended
  • Senegal bichir eats animals up to about 4 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
Not recommended
  • Senegal bichir eats animals up to about 4 cm. Black neon tetra only grows to 3.2 cm.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 24 °C.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

387 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓5–20 dGH
Group size ?Can live alone
Temperament ✓Semi-aggressive
Swims at ✓Bottom
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ✓15–34 years
Size in shops 5–8 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Eats sleeping small fish at night; escape artist.

Food

Carnivore pellets, frozen foods.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males have a thicker, broader anal fin than females; females are generally larger.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-scatterer · Hard

Rarely bred in aquaria and not achieved by hobbyists in any documented way. In the wild it spawns in the rainy season, scattering eggs a few at a time among dense plants; no nest is built.

Pairing

Group of adults.

Setup

Large tank.

What starts it

Cooling.

Eggs

Females lay about 100-300 eggs over a few days; eggs hatch in 3-4 days and fry swim freely about 3 days later.

Raising the fry

Brine shrimp.

Common mistakes
  • Space
  • Cannibalism
  • Poor water
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionWest and Central Africa, Nile basin
Rivers and lakesNiger, Nile, Lake Chad, Senegal and Gambia rivers
HabitatShallow swamps and river edges
Native rangeAbout 3,500 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the senegal bichir

An ancient-looking fish with a row of 8-11 small dorsal finlets and a pair of primitive lungs, which let it gulp air at the surface.

Georges Cuvier described the Senegal bichir in 1829. Bichirs belong to an ancient lineage of ray-finned fishes and have paired lungs that let them breathe air. Hardy and easy to keep, it is the bichir most often seen in aquariums, including an albino form.

First described by Georges Cuvier in 1829.

  • It has lungs and breathes air.
  • It belongs to an ancient fish group.
  • Young bichirs have external gills.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources