All fish / Mastacembelidae

Moore's Spiny Eel

Mastacembelus moorii

Also known as moorii spiny eel, tanganyika spiny eel, moore's spiny eel, mastacembelus moori, 坦干依克刺鳅

This is a slender, eel-like fish from Lake Tanganyika with a pointed snout and a brownish body covered in a fine pale or yellowish net pattern. Keepers like it as an unusual, long-lived oddball that suits hard, alkaline Tanganyikan cichlid setups.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

25 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

7.8 to 9

Smallest tank

240 litres

Keep as

Singly or in a well spaced group in a large tank

Diet

Carnivore: bloodworm, mysis, krill, earthworms and small crustaceans

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

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

Breeding

It scatters eggs among rocks and has rarely been bred in home aquariums. Most fish in the trade are wild caught.

Good to know

It burrows and needs a soft sand substrate, many rocky caves and a tight lid because it escapes easily. It will eat very small fish and fry, and can quarrel with others of its kind.