Mae Klong spiny eel

Care at a glance

Overview

Keep the Mae Klong spiny eel singly, as it is solitary and can be territorial with its own kind unless the tank is large and full of cover. It buries in fine sand by day and comes out at dusk to work the bottom, so a soft substrate and shaded hides are the core needs. It is peaceful toward tankmates too big to eat but will take small fish, so choose calm, medium-sized companions. Feed meaty foods such as frozen bloodworm, blackworm, and chopped earthworm in the evening, and start shy new fish on live blackworm. A tank of about 265 liters with fine sand and a secure lid suits it.

In the wild

The Mae Klong spiny eel is native to the Mae Klong basin in western Thailand, in freshwater rivers and streams with sandy beds. Give it a soft sand floor deep enough to bury in, wood and plant cover, and gentle flow. Warm water from about 23 to 28 C at a pH of roughly 6.0 to 7.5 keeps it in good form, and it colors up best over sand in calm, well-planted surroundings.

Good to know

Macrognathus meklongensis, described by Tyson Roberts in 1986, is a spiny eel of the family Mastacembelidae reaching around 25 centimeters, with a golden-bronze body, red-washed fins, and small eyespots along the dorsal fin. Unusually for the group it has been bred in home aquaria: pairs spawn among cover and produce clutches of a hundred or more eggs, though rearing the fry is only moderately reliable.

Did you know

The trade name is often misspelled mekongensis, which would place it in the wrong river altogether; the fish is named for the Mae Klong basin in western Thailand, not the Mekong far to the east.

Common questions

Related species

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• Line-spot spiny eel

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• 

  Tapir spiny eel

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• 

  Peacock Spiny Eel

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