All fish / Polypteridae

Shortfin Bichir

Polypterus palmas

Also known as marbled bichir, palmas bichir, short-finned bichir, palmas polypterus, bichir palmas, ポリプテルス・パルマス, 棕斑恐龙鱼, 帕尔马斯多鳍鱼

This is one of the smaller bichirs, with a long, eel-like body, a row of small finlets running down the back and a brown to olive body marked with dark mottling. Keepers like it for its primitive, prehistoric look, its habit of gulping air at the surface and its fairly modest adult size compared with other bichirs.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Singly or in a group with plenty of cover

Diet

Carnivore: earthworms, prawns, mussel, bloodworm, sinking carnivore pellets and fish fillet

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

West Africa: coastal river basins from Guinea and Sierra Leone to Liberia and Ivory Coast

Breeding

It scatters adhesive eggs among plants after the male cups his anal fin around the female's vent. Captive spawning is rare and most fish in the trade are wild-caught.

Good to know

It will eat any tankmate small enough to fit in its mouth, and it can escape through very small gaps, so you need a tight-fitting lid. Take care when buying, as it is often confused with similar marbled bichirs such as P. retropinnis.