Common Name: Platinum Senegal Bichir
Scientific Name: Polypterus senegalus
Other Names: Gray Bichir, Cuvier’s Bichir, Dinosaur Eel
The Platinum Senegal Bichir is a captive-bred platinum form of the Senegal bichir, prized for its bright, pale coloration. This listing is for a blemished fish, as noted in the product title. Senegal bichirs have a long, eel-like body covered in thick, armor-like scales and a row of small finlets running down the back. They move with a slow, deliberate, almost reptilian style that has earned them the nickname “Dinosaur Eel.”
Habitat and Distribution:
Wild Senegal bichirs are found across West and Central Africa, including the Nile basin, where they inhabit slow-moving rivers, swamps, floodplains and the vegetated margins of lakes. These waters are warm and often low in oxygen, which bichirs cope with by gulping air at the surface.
Size and Lifespan:
Senegal bichirs typically reach 10-12 inches (25-30 cm) in aquariums. With proper care they commonly live 10-15 years, and considerably longer lifespans have been reported.
Diet and Behavior:
Senegal bichirs are carnivorous and feed on insects, worms, crustaceans and small fish in the wild. In the aquarium, they do well on sinking carnivore pellets, frozen bloodworms, krill and shrimp. They are most active at dusk and during the night, spending much of the day resting on the bottom. They are peaceful with fish too large to swallow, but will eat small tank mates.
Breeding and Reproduction:
Bichirs are egg scatterers. During spawning the male cups his enlarged anal fin to collect and fertilize the eggs, which are then scattered among fine-leaved plants and left without parental care. Spawning in aquariums is usually triggered by simulating a rainy season with slightly cooler, softer water, and most bichirs in the trade today are produced by commercial breeders.
Aquarium Care and Tank Requirements:
A tank of at least 75 gallons is recommended for an adult, with a long footprint preferred over height. The tank should have plenty of floor space, a soft sand or smooth gravel substrate, and driftwood or caves for cover. Bichirs are expert escape artists that can squeeze through surprisingly small gaps, so a tight-fitting lid with all openings covered is essential. Leave a little air space at the surface so they can breathe. The water temperature should be kept between 75-82°F (24-28°C), with a pH of 6.5-7.8 and soft to hard water.
Ideal Tank Mates:
Bichirs do well with fish that are too large to fit in their mouths, such as medium to large cichlids, larger barbs, arowanas, knifefish, synodontis catfish and other bichirs. Avoid small tetras, livebearers and shrimp, which will be eaten at night, and very aggressive fish that may nip at them.
Difficulty Level:
Beginner to Intermediate. Senegal bichirs are hardy and adaptable, but their eventual size, escape skills and predatory diet mean they need a properly sized, well-covered tank.
Water Parameters:
-
Temperature: 75-82°F (24-28°C)
-
pH: 6.5-7.8
-
General Hardness (GH): 5-20 dGH
-
Carbonate Hardness (KH): 3-10 dKH
-
Ammonia: 0 ppm
-
Nitrite: 0 ppm
-
Nitrate: <20 ppm (regular water changes required)
Additional Information:
- Bichirs have a pair of primitive lungs and regularly swim to the surface to gulp air, which is completely normal behavior.
- They have poor eyesight and find food mainly by smell, so sinking foods offered in the evening are often taken most readily.
- Fun fact: Bichirs belong to an ancient lineage of ray-finned fish with a fossil record stretching back tens of millions of years, which is why they are often called living fossils.
The Platinum Senegal Bichir is a hardy, characterful bottom-dweller that brings a prehistoric look to large community and predator tanks alike.
