Nigerian Senegalus
Most of these available for the hobby are a farm raised version of the wild type, Polypterus senegalus first reported by Cuvier in 1829. Found in the regions of the White Nile River, this fish is sometimes called . This Polypterus is olive green to gray, with perhaps a few black specks. Also known as the Grey Bichir, this is a true predatorthat eats small fish and insects in the wild. It will adapt to meaty foods like Krill and Bloodworms, but should not be kept with anything small enough to fit in its mouth. Sometimes quarrelsome among themselves, most are kept singly in the home aquarium. The Polypterus has an elongated body with a flattened head and a series of short dorsal fins running about two-thirds of the body length. They prefer to lie in wait in dense vegetation or among rocks, rarely moving to far from their lair. The aquarium should have a good cover as they do sometimes attempt to jump out, perhaps in pursuit of prey. Long-lived, the Senegalus can reach an adult length of 12 inches and makes an interesting tank occupant that can be housed with other, large fish. Rather undemanding of water parameters, natural water conditions are mildly soft with a Ph value of 7.0.
Approximate arrival size for Nigerian Senegalus: 2-4"
