All fish / Mastacembelidae

Fire Eel

Mastacembelus erythrotaenia

Also known as fire spiny eel, red striped spiny eel, fire eel spiny eel, firespiny eel, red fire eel, ปลากระทิงไฟ, tilan, ファイヤーイール, sili, 火鳗, 火焰刺鳅

A long, eel-shaped spiny eel with a dark brown body marked by bright red to orange stripes and spots along the sides. It has a pointed, mobile snout and often buries itself in soft sand. Keepers prize it for its colour, personality and the way it learns to take food from the hand.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

55 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

600 litres

Keep as

Best kept singly; several only in a very large tank

Diet

Carnivore: earthworms, prawns, mussel, bloodworm, small fish and sinking meaty foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 20 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Southeast Asia: Mekong and Chao Phraya basins, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo

Breeding

Rarely bred in aquariums; it is thought to scatter eggs among plants after courtship. Most fish in the trade are wild caught or produced with hormones on farms.

Good to know

Grows large, often over 50 cm in captivity, and will eat any fish small enough to swallow. Needs a soft sand substrate to avoid skin damage, a tight lid as it escapes easily, and is sensitive to some medications.