Gray bichir (Polypterus senegalus senegalus)

Scientific name: Polypterus senegalus senegalus Cuvier, 1829

Gray bichir (Polypterus senegalus senegalus)

The Gray bichir (Polypterus senegalus senegalus) is a freshwater fish of the family Polypteridae that grows to about 50.5 cm (20 in). It is moderate to keep and aggressive and needs a tank of at least 210 L (55 US gal), water at 25–28°C (77–82°F) and a pH of 6.0–8.0. Native range: Africa, Nile basin and West Africa, including Senegal, Gambia, Niger, Volta and Lake Chad basins .

Gray bichir care at a glance

Care level
Moderate
Temperament
Aggressive
Adult size
50.5 cm (20 in)
Minimum tank
210 L (55 US gal)
Temperature
25–28°C (77–82°F)
pH
6.0–8.0
Hardness
5–19 dGH (89–339 ppm)
Diet
Carnivore. Accepts freeze-dried foods, frozen foods and live foods.

Biology

This species inhabits marginal swamps and freshwater lagoons and it appears to favor sheltered inshore habitats; it inhabits the muddy regions at the sides of rivers and swampy waters, where it lies quiet or glides about with snake-like movements. During the hottest hours of the day, it comes to the surface just on the outer edge of the vegetation, and it goes back to the bottom when disturbed. It feeds on insects, crustaceans, mollusks, frogs and fishes. Polypterus senegalus senegalus is mainly insectivorous. Longevity of Polypterus senegalus in captivity can be 34 years and more.Larval fish 1.1-3.8 cm SL were found in papyrus root mat and juveniles up to 10 cm SL retaining external gills were found in fringing water hyacinth. Feeds mainly on fishes (

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Polypterus senegalus senegalus
Family
Polypteridae (Bichirs)
Order
Polypteriformes (Bichirs)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
50.5
Environment
Freshwater;; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 5 - 19 demersal; potamodromous
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Africa: Nile basin and West Africa, including Senegal, Gambia, Niger, Volta and Lake Chad basins.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial
Resilience
Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (tmax=34; Fec

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Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Aquarium care parameters compiled, checked and converted to metric and imperial units by Guppies.za.net.

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