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Eels
/ Mastacembelidae / Spiny Eel
Spiny Eel
Macrognathus aculeatus | Pictures
SYN: Macrognathus
maculatus
PD: An elongated fish with a long snout.
The back and flanks are dark brown in color,
while the belly is light brown to white.
A fine yellow line extends from the tip of the snout, through the eye,
and to the rear of the fish.
The upper parts may be marked with faint bars.
The upper part of the dorsal fin has
three obvious eye-spots.
SIZE: To 14" (36 cm), although not usually larger than 8” (20 cm) in captivity.
SS: Other Mastacembelus
and Aethiomastacembelus
species.
HAB: Southeast Asia; fresh and brackish waters in Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Thailand
S: bottom
TANK: A tank measuring 24” (61 cm) with a volume of 20 gallons (75 L) is adequate for fish
up to 5" (13 cm) in length.
Specimen longer than this must be kept in larger tanks.
Follow recommendations for
M.
circumcinctus
.
WATER: pH 6-8 (7.0), 6-35 dH (10), 73-79°F (23-26°C), some salt can be added if
desired
SB: A peaceful fish ideal for a community tank containing fish over the length of 3"
(7.5 cm).
Often shy when first introduced, but may become friendly once acclimated.
Gets along well with own species as
long as they are similar in size.
SC: Large Gouramis, Knifefish, Giant Danios, large Loaches, Loricarids, Eartheaters, Acaras,
Cichlasomines, Asian Catfish
FOOD: Live; Tubifex,
fish fry, Brine Shrimp, mosquito larvae, bloodworms,
Cyclops.
SEX: Only distinguishable when mature-females plumper
B: This eel has been bred in captivity. Use water with the following values: a pH of 7.2,
water hardness from 35-40 dH, and a water temperature of 77-81°F (25-27°C).
Use a large tank and condition the pair
well on a varied diet.
Make biweekly water changes and keep the tank very clean.
About 1000 clear eggs are laid around
the base of plants and rocks.
They hatch in 3 days and the fry are free swimming after 3 more.
Start feeding with small nauplii.
Later
the young can be fed with white worms and chopped
Tubifex worms.
The fry, under the right conditions,
will grow very quickly.
BP: 9. Breeding is very difficult.
R: Several color variants exist.
The peacock and the striped peacock are some
of the more common.
Macrognathus
species can be differentiated from
Mastacembelus by its characteristic bumpy or ruffled
area on the lower part of the fleshy snout.
These two genera can also be distinguished by the distinct separation
of the dorsal, caudal, and anal fins of Macrognathus
.
Keeping spiny eels at a high temperature proves to be detrimental to their health.
DC: 4.
A robust fish that requires live foods.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
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