Senegal Bichir 18-20cm

Senegal Bichir 18-20cm

Senegal Bichir are specially bred variations of the common Senegal Bichir. These fish are commonly found throughout Africa, inhabiting various slow-moving shallow waters such as swamps, marshes, lakes, estuaries, and small streams. In their natural habitat, they can reach lengths of over 18 inches, but in home aquariums, they typically grow to around 12 inches. This species is known to be semi-aggressive, as they will consume smaller fish that can fit in their mouths, but they generally leave larger fish alone. Albino Senegal Bichir are often available in the aquarium trade as farm-raised specimens, thriving in well-maintained aquarium conditions with appropriate water quality and tank size. Bichir possess several fascinating adaptations, including a divided swim bladder and a primitive lung, which enable them to extract oxygen from the air. This allows them to survive outside of water for a limited time, as long as they remain moist. Similar to other Anabantoid species, they can drown if they are unable to access atmospheric air. Young bichirs even have external gills reminiscent of amphibians, which they lose as they grow into adults. These unique traits, along with their behavior of hiding during the day and hunting at night, highlight the connection between modern bichirs and amphibians.