All fish / Mastacembelidae

Small-finned spiny eel

Mastacembelus micropectus

Also known as tanganyika spiny eel, micropectus spiny eel, small fin spiny eel, 小鳍刺鳅

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This slim, snake-like spiny eel from Lake Tanganyika has a pointed snout, very small pectoral fins and a mottled brown and yellowish body. Keepers of Tanganyikan cichlid tanks value it as an unusual bottom dweller that hunts among rocks, mostly at dusk.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

20 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

7.8 to 9

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Singly, or several in a large tank with many caves

Diet

Carnivore: bloodworm, mysis, brine shrimp, small earthworms and other meaty frozen foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

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

Breeding

It scatters eggs among rocks, but captive spawning has rarely if ever been recorded, so almost all specimens are wild caught.

Good to know

It needs hard, alkaline water, fine sand to burrow in and a tight-fitting lid, because spiny eels escape easily. It will eat fry and very small fish, and it is seldom seen in the trade.