Marbled bichir
Polypterus palmas
Also known as Shortfin bichir, Palmas bichir, Polypterus buettikoferi, Gold dust bichir
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–82°F
- 24–28°C
- pH
- 6.0–7.5
- Adult size
- 13.8 in
- 35 cm
- Minimum tank
- 53 gal
- 200 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Hard
- Rarity
- Common
- Family
- Polypteridae
- Origin
- Native to rivers and swamps of West Africa, from Guinea and Sierra Leone through the region's coastal drainages.
Overview
A good starter bichir at around 35 cm, it can be kept in a tank of at least 200 litres with a tight-fitting lid. Keep it at 24 to 28 C and pH 6.0 to 7.5. It is peaceful with fish it cannot swallow but will eat small tankmates, so pair it with medium to large community fish. Offer sinking meaty foods including prawns, worms and pellets, ideally after lights-out.
In the wild
The marbled bichir is one of the smaller, more manageable members of the family, with a slim body and a mottled grey-green pattern. It has the same armoured scales and dorsal finlets as its larger relatives. It is a nocturnal bottom hunter that follows scent to its food.
Good to know
Polypterus palmas is a West African bichir with paired lungs that let it breathe atmospheric air. Like all bichirs it has thick ganoid scales and a body plan little changed for many millions of years. Juveniles pass through a larval stage with external gills.
Did you know
Bichirs find food almost entirely by smell, so they can be trained to feed even in a fully darkened tank.
Common questions
What size tank does a Marbled bichir need?
A Marbled bichir needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a Marbled bichir need?
A Marbled bichir is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.
How big does a Marbled bichir get?
An adult Marbled bichir reaches about 13.8 in (35 cm).
Related species
13.8 in (35 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–86°F (24–30°C)Barred bichir
Polypterus delhezi
13.8 in (35 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)
13.8 in (35 cm)143 gal (540 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Senegal bichir
Polypterus senegalus
13.8 in (35 cm) · 143 gal (540 L)
13.8 in (35 cm)53 gal (200 L)77–82°F (25–28°C)West African bichir
Polypterus retropinnis
13.8 in (35 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)
12.6 in (32 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Poll's bichir
Polypterus polli
12.6 in (32 cm) · 79 gal (300 L)
15.7 in (40 cm)119 gal (450 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Ansorge's bichir
Polypterus ansorgii
15.7 in (40 cm) · 119 gal (450 L)
16.5 in (42 cm)119 gal (450 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Teugels' bichir
Polypterus teugelsi
16.5 in (42 cm) · 119 gal (450 L)