The Senegal Bichir has a widespread distribution throughout much of tropical Africa, where it inhabits sheltered freshwater lagoons, marshes, and swamps with dense vegetation and muddy substrates. This solitary nocturnal predator tends to seek refuge in dimly lit, sheltered nooks and crannies during the day, emerging at night to feed on crustaceans, insects, insect larvae, molluscs, small fish and small frogs.