TankBud

Pavo spiny eel

Macrognathus pavo

Also known as Eyespot tail spiny eel, Rakhine spiny eel, Pavo eel

FreshwaterFish

Pavo spiny eel (Macrognathus pavo)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–82°F
23–28°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
7.5 in
19 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
Western Myanmar streams

Overview

The Pavo spiny eel is a small, solitary spiny eel for a modest tank with a soft sand floor. It is a step up from the easiest fish.

Did you know

Spiny eels are named for the short spines before the soft dorsal fin, which usually number in the dozens. The Pavo spiny eel carries only four to six, the fewest of any species in the family. It is so scarce that it was described from just two specimens.

Caring for the Pavo spiny eel

Keep the Pavo spiny eel in a tank of 53 gal (200 L) or larger, with fine sand and a lid it cannot nose open. It tucks into the sand by day, so a soft sand bed and quiet, shaded hides come first. Smooth stones and leaf litter suit it too.

Give it warm, gently acidic to neutral water at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Keep the flow gentle and the water clean and well oxygenated, like its clear home stream. It comes out after dark to hunt the floor. Feed small frozen and live foods near the bottom then, such as bloodworm, daphnia, blackworm and finely chopped earthworm.

Keep it by itself, as it will not abide another of its kind in a normal tank. It is peaceful toward tank mates it cannot swallow but will take very small fish and shrimp. Choose calm, modestly sized companions. No aquarium breeding is on record.

Good to know

Macrognathus pavo is a small member of the spiny eel family, Mastacembelidae, described by Ralf Britz in 2010. Its name is Latin for peafowl, after the many dark spots scattered over its body and fins. It also goes by the names Rakhine spiny eel and eyespot tail spiny eel.

In the wild

The Pavo spiny eel is known from a clear mountain stream on the western slope of the Rakhine Yoma, in western Myanmar.

Common questions

What size tank does a Pavo spiny eel need?

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

What temperature and pH does a Pavo spiny eel need?

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

What does a Pavo spiny eel eat?

A Pavo spiny eel eats small frozen and live foods such as bloodworm, daphnia, blackworm and finely chopped earthworm. Feed it near the floor after dark.

How big does a Pavo spiny eel get?

An adult Pavo spiny eel reaches about 7.5 in (19 cm).

Related species