Shortfin Bichir

The maximum recorded length of P. palmas is 35.3 cm (13.9) inches, although lengths of around 30 cm (11.8 inches) are much more common. It can be distinguished from other similarly-sized bichirs such as Polypterus senegalus and Polypterus polli by its bright gold coloration, speckled pattern, and dark transverse barring. Two color morphs of this species exist—P. palmas "palmas" is found in more Southern locales and has a more pale yellow body with thinner dark barring, while P. palmas "buettikoferi" is from more Northern locales, and exhibits a deep gold with thicker dark barring. These two morphs were once considered to be subspecies of P. palmas, but their taxonomic validity has since been revoked. Polypterus polli was also once considered a subspecies of P. palmas, but was later elevated to species status. Bichirs are stabilomorphic fishes that diverged from other ray-finned fishes possibly as early as the Devonian period. As such, P. palmas can be considered a living fossil, and exhibits many "primitive" traits when compared to other extant fishes. This species has true lungs in addition to gills, and uses a blowhole-like organ called a spiracle to take breaths of atmospheric oxygen (a trait it shares with stem-tetrapods). This allows P. …

P. palmas has a wide range; it can be found in freshwater environments at a demersal depth range in Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Liberia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, and Sierra Leone. It was listed as "least concern" within this range by the IUCN in 2021.