All fish / Mastacembelidae

Tire Track Eel

Mastacembelus armatus

Also known as tire track spiny eel, tyre track eel, zig-zag eel, zigzag eel, spiny eel, white-spotted spiny eel, armed spiny eel, tiretrack eel, ปลากระทิงไฟ, ปลากระทิงลาย, ปลากระทิง, tilan

A long, eel-like fish with a pointed snout and a brown body marked by a dark zig-zag line that looks like a tyre tread. It is kept for its unusual shape, inquisitive character and the way it burrows in sand with only its head showing.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

50 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.8

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Best kept singly; more than one only in very large tanks

Diet

Carnivore: earthworms, bloodworms, prawns, mussel, fish pieces and sinking carnivore pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 18 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

South and Southeast Asia: India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Myanmar, Thailand, Indochina, Malay Peninsula, Indonesia and southern China

Breeding

Rarely bred in aquariums; it is mass produced in Southeast Asia using hormone injections, and wild fish scatter adhesive eggs among plants.

Good to know

It can grow well beyond 60 cm, eats any fish small enough to swallow and is an expert escape artist, so a tightly sealed lid is needed. Give it soft sand to burrow into, as gravel can damage its skin.