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Greshoff's spiny eel

Mastacembelus greshoffi

Also known as Greshoffi eel

FreshwaterFish

Greshoff's spiny eel (Mastacembelus greshoffi)

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–82°F
23–28°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
15 in
38 cm
Minimum tank
79 gal
300 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
Congo basin

Overview

Greshoff's spiny eel is an active, mostly peaceful spiny eel for a large tank with plenty of cover. It is a fair choice for a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

Greshoff's spiny eel is named for Anton Greshoff, a Dutch trader. In the late 1800s he was stationed at Boma, near the mouth of the Congo. He forwarded collections of local fishes to the museum naturalists who described them.

Caring for the Greshoff's spiny eel

Give Greshoff's spiny eel at least 79 gal (300 L), with a deep sand bed and a secure cover. Add a choice of caves, pipes, piled stone or driftwood for it to shelter in by day. A confident hide is what brings it out to forage at night.

Keep the water at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C), on the soft-to-neutral side, with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Give it moderate, well-oxygenated flow and steady filtration to hold the clean, oxygen-rich conditions this active eel prefers. Feed sinking meaty foods in the evening, such as chopped earthworm, prawn, cockle and frozen bloodworm.

Keep it singly, since it is solitary and will defend a chosen hide against its own kind. It is peaceful with tank mates too large to be eaten but treats small fish as prey. Choose sturdy, even-tempered companions. Like its large African relatives, it has no recorded history of breeding in aquariums.

Good to know

Greshoff's spiny eel, Mastacembelus greshoffi, belongs to the spiny eel family Mastacembelidae. Its marbled, leopard-like pattern gives it the trade name leopard spiny eel. It also goes by greshoffi eel.

In the wild

Greshoff's spiny eel ranges widely through the Congo basin. It lives over rocky river beds and in rapids, as well as in calmer lakes.

Common questions

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

A Greshoff's spiny eel needs at least 79 gal (300 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

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

A Greshoff's spiny eel is comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a Greshoff's spiny eel eat?

A Greshoff's spiny eel eats sinking meaty foods in the evening, such as chopped earthworm, prawn, cockle and frozen bloodworm. It also treats small fish as prey.

How big does a Greshoff's spiny eel get?

An adult Greshoff's spiny eel reaches about 15 in (38 cm).

Related species