Description
An incredibly hardy, nocturnal species with very poor vision, P. senegalus relies on its excellent sense of smell to locate food. This species, along with others of its genus, are some of the last surviving relatives of very ancient species. Fossils of earlier relatives have been found that date back to the Triassic Period, which occured during the early development of the dinosaurs more than 200 million years ago.
This is one of the more peaceful and active species of Polypterus and is recommended for beginners with these fish. It is very long-lived and individuals have been known to survive for over 30 years in aquaria.