TankBud

Brichard's spiny eel

Mastacembelus brichardi

Also known as Congo blind spiny eel, Blind Congo eel

FreshwaterFish

Brichard's spiny eel (Mastacembelus brichardi)

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
6.5–7.8
Adult size
6.7 in
17 cm
Minimum tank
53 gal
200 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Mastacembelidae
Origin
Lower Congo rapids

Overview

Brichard's spiny eel is a small, peaceful eel for a rocky tank with strong current. It is a fish for a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

Brichard's spiny eel lost its eyes and its pigment in whitewater, not in a cave. The lower Congo has some of the deepest, most violent river rapids on Earth. They have driven fish there to evolve as if they lived in caves.

Caring for the Brichard's spiny eel

Keep Brichard's spiny eel singly, one specialist to a tank, in at least 53 gal (200 L) with a tight lid. Build the setup around strong current from a powerhead or spray bar rather than a lot of decor. It threads the gaps between rounded stones, so heap smooth boulders over sand to give it crevices to hunt through.

Keep the water brisk, well oxygenated and spotless, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.8. Flow and oxygen matter more than exact chemistry, since it is adapted to whitewater.

Feed sinking meaty foods it can track by scent and touch, such as bloodworm, blackworm and small pieces of prawn. It is peaceful but feels for its food, so it should not have to compete with fast, greedy fish. Slow bottom feeders or calm mid-water fish make better company than boisterous ones. Breeding is unrecorded in aquariums.

Good to know

Brichard's spiny eel, Mastacembelus brichardi, is a small spiny eel of the family Mastacembelidae. Its eyes are tiny and covered in skin, and its flesh is a pale pinkish white. Marc Poll described it in 1958 and named it for the aquarium fish exporter Pierre Brichard. It is only rarely available. Other names for it are Congo blind spiny eel and blind Congo eel.

In the wild

Brichard's spiny eel lives in the rapids of the lower Congo. It keeps to rock crevices in fast, turbulent, highly oxygenated water.

Common questions

What size tank does a Brichard's spiny eel need?

A Brichard's spiny eel needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Brichard's spiny eel need?

A Brichard's spiny eel is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.8.

What does a Brichard's spiny eel eat?

A Brichard's spiny eel eats sinking meaty foods, such as bloodworm, blackworm and small pieces of prawn. It tracks them by scent and touch.

How big does a Brichard's spiny eel get?

An adult Brichard's spiny eel reaches about 6.7 in (17 cm).

Related species