| Aethiomastacembelus ellipsifer | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Osteichthyes |
| Order: | Synbranchiformes |
| Family: | Mastacembelidae |
| Genus: | Aethiomastacembelus |
| Species: | A. ellipsifer |
| Binomial name | |
| Aethiomastacembelus ellipsifer (Boulenger, 1899) |
|
Aethiomastacembelus ellipsifer (common name is Tanganyikan Spiny Eel) is a species of spiny eel. It is endemic to Lake Tanganyika and can be kept in captivity.
The eel is 45 centimeters (18 in) long. The color is brownish-beige with a ring-shaped dark brown pattern. The dorsal fins are hard.[1] The fish is endemic to Lake Tanganyika and can commonly be found along the shores of the lake. It can commonly be found in intermediate zones.[1] The eels prefer coastal waters with a sandy, rock, or a muddy bottom. The species environment is benthopelagic freshwater.[2] The eels eat small fish in the wild. The species is nocturnal.[1] Human uses for this eel are fisheries and aquariums. The eel is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.[2] It was one of the species that was photographed as part of a FishBase mission which had the primary objective to document and photograph the rich fish diversity of Lake Tanganyika with the help of ichthyologist Dr. Tyson R. Roberts.[3]
In captivity, they eat small animals such as prawn, cockle, mussel, earthworms,[1] shrimp,[4] and bloodworm. The aquarium needs piles of rocks for sheltered areas. The base of the tank needs to be covered in sand; gravel should not be used because it can damage the eel's skin. If there is light, it should be dim.[1] The temperature of the water needs to be 73–81°F (23–27°C), the pH in the range 8.0–9.5, and the hardness 8–25°H.[1] Breeding has never occurred in tanks. The tank size needs to be 88 US gallons (330 l; 73 imp gal).[4]
The species might cohabit with other species that are too large for it to eat.[1] However, it can be aggressive to other species and might require more space.[4]