Congico Bichir

About

Found in the Congo River basin of central Africa, Polypterus endlicheri congicus is one of the largest bichirs in the hobby, regularly reaching lengths that would embarrass most aquarium fish. This is a true relic. A fish whose lineage stretches back hundreds of millions of years, and it looks the part. The body is covered in thick, interlocking ganoid scales that resemble medieval plate armor, and a series of small finlets runs along the top of the back in place of a conventional dorsal fin. The pectoral fins work more like limbs than fins, and in the wild these fish can actually haul themselves short distances across wet ground between water bodies. Bichirs possess a modified swim bladder that functions as a primitive lung, obliging them to surface periodically for air. In the aquarium they are generally slow-moving and tolerant of tankmates too large to swallow, but anything that fits in the mouth is fair game, and the mouth is quite large. A tight-fitting lid is absolutely essential since they are determined escape artists. The sheer adult size means only dedicated keepers with serious tank space should take one on, but for those who do, they prove surprisingly hardy and long-lived.