Green Bichir

Green Bichir is a fantastic and unique freshwater fish that will give your aquarium a very prehistoric atmosphere.

They are one of our favorite freshwater fish – period.

There are also a few distinct varieties available, each with its own set of colors and designs. You have several alternatives!

Green Bichir (Polypterus bichir) is a type of tropical freshwater fish that has been around FOREVER. 

They are members of the Polypteridae family and are predominantly found in Northeast Africa around the Nile River and its tributaries.

Bichirs like shallow, swampy environments, but they can even flourish in semi-brackish waters. 

Their build makes them appropriate for this type of habitat, which is one of the reasons they have remained unmodified for such a long time.

These fish have weak eyesight due to the murky waters from which they originate. Simply put, there isn’t enough light for decent vision to be useful!

II. You would love the fish because…

The Green Bichir, a medium-sized member of the Polypterus “upper jaw” group, is a relatively new species to the trade that was determined to be the true P. retropinnis following scientific testing (while most specimens in the trade sold as P. retropinnis before this were the newly described species P. mokelembebe).

They are hardy and undemanding like most bichir species but should be housed with a tight-fitting and perhaps weighted lid as they will attempt to jump if scared or at night. 

They originate from moderate to fast-flowing streams in the Congo River region in Central Africa.

III. Is this fish species peaceful or hostile?

Peaceful pets.

IV. Species compatibility

Guppies, Platies, Mollies, Swordtails and Tetras.

V. How to feed this species?

Snails primarily consume algae in your tank. They’re quite efficient at it, which is why they’re so popular in the aquarium industry. They can sometimes be so good that they hoover the entire tank clean and there aren’t enough algae left.