All fish / Mastacembelidae

Tanganyika Spiny Eel

Mastacembelus plagiostomus

Also known as tanganyika spiny eel, lake tanganyika spiny eel, plagiostomus spiny eel, spiny eel, 坦干依克刺鳅

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A slender, eel-shaped fish from rocky parts of Lake Tanganyika, with a pointed snout and a mottled brown and yellowish pattern. It spends much of its time hidden among rocks or partly buried in sand, coming out to hunt at dusk. Keepers value it as an unusual bottom dweller for hard-water Tanganyikan cichlid setups.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

25 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

7.8 to 9

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Singly or in a small group in a large tank with plenty of hiding places

Diet

Carnivore: bloodworm, brine shrimp, mysis, chopped prawn and earthworms

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

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

Breeding

Breeding in aquariums is rarely reported and little documented. It is thought to scatter eggs among rocks or plants with no parental care, so captive spawning should be considered difficult.

Good to know

It will eat small fish and shrimp, so keep it only with tankmates too large to swallow, and use a tightly fitted lid as spiny eels escape easily. Provide soft sand rather than sharp gravel to protect its skin.