All fish / Mastacembelidae

Zebra Spiny Eel

Mastacembelus zebratus

Also known as zebra spinyeel, zebra spiny eel, tanganyika zebra eel, banded spiny eel, ゼブラスパイニーイール, 斑马刺鳅

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This is an elongate eel-like fish with a pointed snout and dark bands across a pale brown to yellowish body. It comes from the rocky shores of Lake Tanganyika and does well in hard, alkaline water. Keepers like it as an unusual, characterful bottom dweller to sit alongside Tanganyikan cichlids.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

7.5 to 9

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

Best kept singly or with a fairly large tank if more than one

Diet

Carnivore: bloodworm, shrimp, earthworms, mussel, sinking carnivore pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Tanganyika and Lake Mweru-Wantipa, plus Malagarasi river basin (Tanzania, DR Congo, Zambia, Burundi)

Breeding

Captive breeding has rarely been reported, and nearly all fish on sale are caught in the wild. It is thought to scatter its eggs among rocks.

Good to know

It will eat small fish and shrimp, and it can escape through tiny gaps, so the lid needs to fit tightly. It likes to burrow, so give it soft sand and rocky caves, and it is sensitive to poor water quality and to medications.