Bichir

About

Found across a huge swath of Africa from Egypt down through Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, and beyond, this ancient predator, Polypterus bichir bichir, belongs to a lineage that stretches back over 200 million years to the Triassic Period. Making it a contemporary of the earliest dinosaurs. It looks the part, too: an elongated, armored body adorned with a row of small dorsal finlets gives it an almost prehistoric silhouette unlike anything else in the freshwater hobby. Vision is poor, but an exceptional sense of smell more than compensates, and this nocturnal hunter emerges after dark to track down invertebrates and small fish. One of the most fascinating adaptations is a divided swim bladder that doubles as an accessory breathing organ, allowing the fish to gulp atmospheric air. Deny it surface access and it can actually drown. Young bichirs even develop feathery external gills reminiscent of salamander larvae, which are gradually reabsorbed as they mature. Despite its predatory nature, it is reasonably peaceful toward tankmates too large to swallow, and pairs well with other bichirs, larger catfish, and robust African species. Most individuals sold are wild-caught, so a quarantine period is strongly recommended before introducing one to an established tank.