NEWS 110
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Above: An albino peering curiously at the world.
Below: Very young P. senegalus are striped and have external gills like newts.
This dwarf form of the Senegal bichir grows to only barely 10 cm long.
think of the myths and legends regarding
white hinds. Unicorns are always portrayed
as white. And in his novel Moby Dick
Herman Melville chose a white Sperm
Whale as a symbol of invincible Nature,
opposition to which always results in harm.
The albino cultivated forms should also be
viewed in this context. They divide
aquarists into two camps - those who
abhor them as supernumerary unnatural
creations and those who are fascinated by
their pure white color.
Facts about the Senegal Bichir
Polypterus senegalus
is widespread in West
and Central Africa. Wild-caught imports
usually come fromNigeria.The species varies
little in color, and looks essentially the same
everywhere - gray with a few little black
spots. The fins are whitish gray, except in a
dwarf form from Nigeria that exhibits sexual
dimorphism at just 10 cm in length and has
yellowish fins. Normally maximum length is
around 30 cm in the Senegal Bichir, and
references to different sizes in the literature
are the result of confusion with other bichir
species. Sexual maturity is attained at a
length of around 20 cm and an age of about
two years. Males are smaller and slimmer
than females and have a much-enlarged
anal fin that is wrapped around the female
during spawning to form a "bowl" in which
the millet-sized eggs are caught and
fertilized. The young that hatch from the
eggs look totally different to the parents and
are more reminiscent of newt tadpoles, as
they have bushy external gills. In addition
very young Senegal bichirs are striped
brown and white, but they soon lose this
juvenile pattern at a length of around four
centimeters.
Senegal Bichirs in the aquarium
The maintenance of these fishes is very easy.
