All fish / Mastacembelidae

Peacock Eel

Macrognathus semiocellatus

Also known as peacock spiny eel, half-eye spiny eel, eyespot spiny eel, siamese spiny eel, semiocellatus spiny eel, ปลากระทิงไทย, ピーコックイール, 孔雀鳗

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A slender spiny eel with a pointed, fleshy snout, brown body and a row of dark eyespots ringed in pale yellow along the base of the dorsal fin. It is kept for its curious, burrowing habits and the way individuals become tame and take food from the hand.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

20 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

120 litres

Keep as

Singly or in groups if there is plenty of cover

Diet

Carnivore: bloodworm, blackworm, brine shrimp, small earthworms and sinking meaty foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Indochina: Mekong, Chao Phraya and Mae Klong basins (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam)

Breeding

It scatters adhesive eggs among plants and there is no parental care. Captive spawning is rare and seldom planned, so most fish in the trade are wild caught.

Good to know

Use a soft sand substrate because it burrows, and fit a tight lid as spiny eels escape through small gaps. It will eat very small fish and shrimp, and it is often confused with Macrognathus siamensis, which some sources treat as the same fish under the trade name.