Saddled Bichir

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Broadly distributed throughout the lower, muddy, sluggish stretches of the massive Nile, Niger, and Volta river systems, and heavily concentrated in the swamps around Lake Chad in Africa. They are the ultimate biological survivors of severe African droughts. When the swamp dries up into foul, oxygen-starved soup, the Bichir effortlessly breathes atmospheric air using its paired lungs. If the puddle dries completely, it uses its thick, muscular front fins to literally crawl across the wet mud to find a new pond.

Taxonomy and Morphology: The 'Many-Finned' Relic (Polypteridae). It is a heavily armored, tubular, snake-like predator wrapped in impenetrable diamond-shaped 'ganoid' scales. The Endlicheri is part of the formidable 'Lower-Jaw' group of Bichirs (their lower jaw severely protrudes past their upper lip in a permanent, bulldog-like underbite), making it an apex piscivore. The head is extremely massive, wide, and flattened like a shovel or lizard's skull. It features an incredibly cool, prehistoric 'Stegosaurus' crest: 11 to 15 separate, independent, spiky little dorsal finlets running down its back. Its pectoral (front) fins are massive, fleshy, lobe-like arms it uses to prop itself up or 'walk' along the sand.

Social Behavior: The Nocturnal Sniffer. During the day, it is incredibly lazy. It lies completely motionless on the sand, heavily camouflaged like a piece of dead, patterned wood, or hides in a dark PVC pipe. At night, it becomes a relentless, crawling hunter. It is practically blind, relying entirely on two prominent, tubular nostrils sticking out of its snout to 'smell' food in the dark. It is totally unbothered, incredibly peaceful, and totally indifferent to other massive, giant Monster Fish, often resting in adorable 'Bichir Piles', happily sleeping stacked on top of 5 other Bichirs in a corner.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: The African Mud-Tiger. It boasts one of the most stunning, highly-prized camouflages of the prehistoric fish. The base color is a creamy sand, mustard-yellow, or light tan. The 'Saddled' name comes from the spectacular, starkly contrasting 4 to 5 massive, thick, dark brown/black vertical bands or 'saddles' that drape heavily over its back and randomly branch out down its flanks, giving it a stunning tiger-stripe appearance. Females grow significantly thicker, wider, and larger overall. Males are uniquely identified by a massive, ridiculously swollen, thick, fleshy, cup-shaped anal fin near the tail.

Aquarium Setup: The Massive Floor Plan (Footprint is Everything). This is a rigid, massive, 2-foot long armored snake. It absolutely demands a tank with a massive FOOTPRINT—minimum 180-200 cm (6-7 feet) long and at least 60-80 cm (2.5+ feet) wide (150+ gallons). Tall, narrow tanks are useless for bottom-dwelling Bichirs. THE AIR GAP AND HEAVY LID LAWS: 1) You MUST leave a 3-inch gap of empty air between the water line and the lid. If the Bichir cannot gulp air from the surface, it will drown and die underwater. 2) The lid MUST be heavy, weighed down, and 100% perfectly sealed. Bichirs are the ultimate escape artists. If there is a hole big enough for a wire, a 2-foot Bichir will violently muscle its way out during the night.

Diet and Feeding: The Nocturnal Scavenger (Strict Carnivore). They are bottomless pits once they smell food in the water. Drop food at night right after lights out. They absolutely thrive on massive chunks of raw, white fish fillet (tilapia, smelt), thick, juicy whole earthworms (Nightcrawlers), and giant, chopped raw market shrimp with the shell left on (the shell provides vital keratin and astaxanthin to boost their tiger colors). Eventually, train them to effortlessly inhale premium, massive sinking Carnivore Pellets. Avoid warm-blooded mammal/bird meats completely (fatal fatty liver issues).

Water Quality: Warm, Swampy Purity. While famously 'bulletproof' and able to survive horrifying ammonia spikes or low oxygen that would instantly kill a Stingray, you must maintain excellent water quality to see their true colors and keep them active. Keep the water very warm (26-29°C / 79-84°F) to fuel their metabolism and prevent fungal infections. Maintain slightly acidic to neutral, softer water (pH 6.0-7.5). Because they eat giant chunks of meat, massive Canister/Sump filtration and 40% weekly water changes are mandatory to remove rotting proteins from the sand.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: THE 'SWALLOW' DANGER RULE. They are the ultimate, incredibly peaceful bottom-dwelling tankmates for huge, aggressive South American Cichlids, Arowanas, and Datnoids, as the Bichir simply ignores all aggression and stays heavily armored. HOWEVER: Do not be fooled by their lazy demeanor. If you put ANY fish (like a peaceful Corydoras, Tetra, or 4-inch Cichlid) in the tank that can physically fit inside the Endlicheri's massively expandable, cavernous mouth, the Bichir will blindly smell it out in the pitch black and swallow it whole, vanishing without a trace by morning.

Aquarium Breeding: The Thrashing Plant Spawners. Very rarely achieved in the home aquarium without simulating intense, cool-water rainy seasons and massive water changes. When triggered, the male aggressively and relentlessly pursues the swollen female through the tank. They thrash violently into dense thickets of plants (or massive bundles of breeding mops). The male cups his massive, swollen anal fin around the female to fertilize the hundreds of tiny, sticky eggs she sprays into the plants. YOU MUST instantly remove the adults, or they will turn around and blindly vacuum up and eat every single egg and baby they just created.

Risks and Diseases: 1. THE 'CRISPY CARPET' ESCAPE DEATH (Jumping): The number one cause of death for all Bichirs. The owner leaves a 1-inch gap in the lid by the filter output. At 3 AM, the 2-foot Bichir muscles its way out, drops to the floor, and uses its strong pectoral fins to slither 15 feet across the living room carpet into a dusty corner, drying up into a tragic, mummified, crusty stick by morning. SEAL THE TANK. 2. INTESTINAL IMPACTION: Using sharp, chunky, colorful gravel instead of ultra-fine, smooth sand. The blind Bichir lunges at a prawn, swallows a mouthful of jagged rocks, and suffers a fatal, agonizing intestinal blockage. 3. DROWNING: Filling the water absolutely to the brim against a tight glass lid, preventing the fish from breathing atmospheric air and drowning it in its own tank.