Polypterus Senegalus

Polypterus Senegalus (Senegal Bichir)
Also known as the Dinosaur Bichir or Gray Bichir

Polypterus senegalus is a fascinating, primitive fish that looks like something from a prehistoric era. With its elongated body, armored scales, and multiple dorsal finlets, this bottom-dwelling predator adds a unique presence to any large freshwater aquarium. Senegal Bichirs are hardy, nocturnal, and slow-moving, often gliding along the substrate or resting near decorations. While peaceful toward similarly sized tank mates, they will eat anything small enough to fit in their mouth. A tight-fitting lid is essential, as they are skilled escape artists.

Need to Know:

• Recommended For: Large, predator or oddball aquariums

• Minimum Tank Size: 200 litres

• Temperature Range: 24–28°C

• pH Range: 6.5–7.5

• Recommended School Size: Can be kept singly or with other Polypterus of similar size

• Compatibility: Peaceful with large, non-aggressive tank mates; predatory toward small fish

• Max Size: 30–35 cm

Shipping Disclaimer:

All fish are usually shipped on Monday or Tuesday mornings via an overnight courier. We use NZ Couriers for all livestock shipping, we find they handle your fish with the best possible care and have quick overnight delivery nationwide.

Special Requests:

If you have any requests for gender/colour etc we will do our best to accommodate them. Please note we can not always accommodate every request due to high stock turnover and what is available at the time. We move all fish sold online into separate holding tanks while they wait to be shipped.

Rural Shipping:

Good news! If you are a rural customer, we can still ship fish to you. Your order will be shipped to your nearest NZ Couriers Depot or Collect/Send Point and you will be phoned once it arrives. You can find your nearest depot/point here: https://nzcextras.co.nz/nearestlocation/