The Senegal bichir is an African species of ray-finned fish in the bichir family Polypteridae, reaching about 35.5 centimeters in length. It has a primitive, ancient appearance with armor-like rhomboid scales and can breathe atmospheric oxygen using a pair of primitive lungs, letting it survive out of water and even move across land using its large pectoral fins. It lives in lakes, river margins, swamps and floodplains across tropical Africa, including the Nile system and West African river basins in at least 26 countries. Despite nicknames such as dinosaur eel or dragon fish, it is neither an eel nor a reptile, and it is popular in the aquarium trade.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) Relationship to People Living or Extinct Scientific Name Conservation Status Connections
Child Taxon Of
Source Polypterus Senegalus (Wikidata)
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Africa, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Cameroon, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Mexico, found in there.
Sources
1. GBIF Species API
2. Polypterus Senegalus (Wikidata)
Wikidata- Wikidata Q1515914 (P225 taxon name)
- Wikidata P141 (IUCN conservation status) claim, entity QID Q1515914
Statements section, conservation status (P141)
IUCN Red List conservation status (Wikidata property P141): least concern.
Wikidata Q1515914 (P1034 main food source): insect
Main food source (Wikidata property P1034): insect.
- Child Taxon Of: Actinopterygii, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
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