Polypterus palmas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Polypterus palmas |
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| Polypterus palmas | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Polypteriformes |
| Family: | Polypteridae |
| Genus: | Polypterus |
| Species: |
P. palmas
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| Binomial name | |
| Polypterus palmas Ayres, 1850
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The shortfin bichir, also known as the marbled bichir, is a unique type of fish. Its scientific name is Polypterus palmas. This fish belongs to the Polypteridae family. You can find it living in fresh water across West Africa.
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Where the Shortfin Bichir Lives
The shortfin bichir lives in many places. It can be found in fresh waters near the bottom. These areas include countries like Ghana, Cameroon, and Liberia. You can also find it in Guinea, Ivory Coast, and Sierra Leone. Scientists checked in 2021. They found that this fish is not in danger. It is listed as "least concern" by the IUCN.
What the Shortfin Bichir Looks Like
The shortfin bichir can grow up to about 35 centimeters (13.9 inches) long. But most of them are around 30 centimeters (11.8 inches). You can tell it apart from other similar bichirs. It has a bright gold color and a speckled pattern. It also has dark stripes across its body.
There are two main color types of this fish. One type, called P. palmas "palmas," lives in southern areas. It has a pale yellow body with thin dark stripes. The other type, P. palmas "buettikoferi," lives in northern areas. It is a deep gold color with thicker dark stripes. These two types were once thought to be different subspecies. Now, scientists know they are just color variations.
A Living Fossil Fish
Bichirs are very old types of fish. They have not changed much over millions of years. They are like "living fossils." This means they have many traits that ancient fish had.
One cool thing about the shortfin bichir is that it has true lungs. It also has gills, like most fish. It uses a special hole, like a blowhole, to breathe air. This helps it survive if the water has little oxygen. It can even live on land for a short time. But its gills and blowhole must stay wet.
Young bichirs have small lungs. So, they have external gills. These gills look like feathers. They help the young fish get enough oxygen. They look a bit like baby salamanders or lungfish.
How the Shortfin Bichir Finds Food
The shortfin bichir does not have great eyesight. So, it uses other senses to hunt. It uses its lateral line. This helps it feel movements in the water. It also has a very good sense of smell. It has a special internal organ for smell. This organ is not found in most modern fish. It also has long, nostril-like parts called nares. These help it smell very precisely.
Keeping Shortfin Bichirs in Aquariums
The shortfin bichir is a popular pet fish. You can often find them in fish stores. Most of the bichirs sold are caught from the wild. This is because they do not often breed in captivity.
Since they can grow over a foot long, they need a big tank. A tank of at least 75 gallons is needed. They like soft, slightly acidic water. But they are tough fish. They can live in many different water conditions.
These fish are active at night. They come from waters with lots of plants. So, they like tanks with many shady spots and places to hide. You can feed them frozen or live foods. Things like bloodworms or earthworms are good for them.
Tank Mates for Bichirs
Shortfin bichirs are usually not aggressive. They might have small fights with other bichirs. But these fights usually end quickly. They are predators, though. They might eat smaller fish in the tank.
Good tank mates are large fish that stay higher in the water. This way, they do not compete for space at the bottom. Large cichlids are a good choice. Other bichirs of similar size can also be good tank mates. These include Polypterus senegalus or Polypterus polli.
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