All fish / Mastacembelidae

Ophidium Eel

Mastacembelus ophidium

Also known as ophidium spiny eel, tanganyika spiny eel, lake tanganyika spiny eel, ophidian spiny eel, mastacembelus ophidium eel, 坦干依卡刺鳅

A slender spiny eel from Lake Tanganyika with a brownish body marked by pale and dark spots and blotches along the flanks. It is kept by African cichlid enthusiasts as an unusual, long-lived bottom dweller that suits hard, alkaline rockwork tanks.

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

150 litres

Keep as

Singly or in a small group in a large tank

Diet

Carnivore: bloodworm, brine shrimp, mysis, chopped prawn and small live foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

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

Breeding

It scatters eggs among rocks or vegetation, but captive spawning is rarely reported and is not well documented.

Good to know

It will eat small fish and fry, and it needs a soft sand substrate, many rocky hiding places and a tightly fitted lid because it can escape through tiny gaps. It also needs clean, well-oxygenated water and may go hungry if it has to compete with fast cichlids at feeding time.