White spot eel
Mastacembelus unicolor
Also known as Mastacembelus unicolour, Borneo white spot eel
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 73–82°F
- 23–28°C
- pH
- 5.5–7.2
- Adult size
- 21.7 in
- 55 cm
- Minimum tank
- 119 gal
- 450 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Difficulty
- Difficult
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Mastacembelidae
- Origin
- Sundaland rivers
Overview
The white spot eel is a large, solitary spiny eel for the bottom of a very big tank. It is a project for an experienced keeper.
Did you know
Cuvier named the white spot eel unicolor, meaning one-colored, for its plain appearance. The hobby sells the same fish as the white spot eel, after the fine pale flecks it commonly shows. Its scientific name and its trade name flatly disagree.
Caring for the white spot eel
Keep the white spot eel in a tank of 119 gal (450 L) or larger, with a long footprint and roomy floor space. It needs a heavy, tight lid, as a fish this size exploits any gap. Give it a deep, soft sand bed to bury in, plus wood and rock cover.
Give it warm, soft to neutral water at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.2. Keep the water clean and well oxygenated, with gentle to moderate flow. It buries in sand by day and works the bottom at night. Feed large meaty items such as earthworm, prawn, mussel, and chunks of tilapia or other white fish.
Keep it singly, as it will not share a tank with its own kind. It is calm with tank mates too big to swallow but will eat small and medium fish. Keep only large, even-tempered companions. Aquarium breeding is unrecorded.
Good to know
Mastacembelus unicolor is one of the larger Asian members of the spiny eel family, Mastacembelidae. Georges Cuvier described it in 1832. Its scales are small and sunk into the skin, as in others of the family. It also goes by the name Borneo white spot eel.
In the wild
The white spot eel ranges across Sundaland and is reported from Borneo and neighboring islands. It lives mainly in upland streams and moves into lakes in the dry season.
Common questions
What size tank does a white spot eel need?
A white spot eel needs at least 119 gal (450 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a white spot eel need?
A white spot eel is comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.2.
What does a white spot eel eat?
A white spot eel eats large meaty items such as earthworm, prawn, mussel, and chunks of tilapia or other white fish.
How big does a white spot eel get?
An adult white spot eel reaches about 21.7 in (55 cm).
Related species
19.7 in (50 cm)106 gal (400 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Blackedge spiny eel
Mastacembelus nigromarginatus
19.7 in (50 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)
19.7 in (50 cm)119 gal (450 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Marbled spiny eel
Mastacembelus favus
19.7 in (50 cm) · 119 gal (450 L)
19.3 in (49 cm)106 gal (400 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)White-spotted spiny eel
Mastacembelus alboguttatus
19.3 in (49 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)
17.7 in (45 cm)106 gal (400 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Eyespot spiny eel
Mastacembelus notophthalmus
17.7 in (45 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)
17.7 in (45 cm)106 gal (400 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Tin Win's spiny eel
Mastacembelus tinwini
17.7 in (45 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)
27.6 in (70 cm)119 gal (450 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Tire-track eel
Mastacembelus armatus
27.6 in (70 cm) · 119 gal (450 L)