All fish / Mastacembelidae

Yellow Spiny Eel

Mastacembelus flavidus

Also known as tanganyika spiny eel, yellow tanganyika spiny eel, flavidus spiny eel, mastacembelus flavidus, 黄刺鳅

A long, eel-shaped spiny eel from Lake Tanganyika with a pointed snout and a yellowish to tan body marked with darker mottling. It is kept by Tanganyikan cichlid enthusiasts as an unusual, long-lived bottom dweller that burrows and hunts at dusk.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

7.8 to 9

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

Singly, or several in a large tank with many caves

Diet

Carnivore: bloodworm, chopped shrimp, earthworms, mysis and sinking meaty foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Tanganyika (Burundi, DR Congo, Tanzania, Zambia)

Breeding

It lays eggs among rocks or substrate in the wild, but captive spawning is very rarely reported and there is no reliable method for home aquaria.

Good to know

Escapes through tiny gaps so a tight lid is essential, and it will eat small fish or fry that fit in its mouth. Provide fine sand for burrowing and hard, alkaline water suited to Lake Tanganyika.