White-spotted spiny eel
Mastacembelus alboguttatus
Also known as Alboguttatus spiny eel, Starlight eel, Day's spiny eel, Leopard eel, Mastacembelus dayi
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 73–82°F (23–28°C)
- pH
- 6.0–7.5
- Adult size
- 19.3 in (49 cm)
- Minimum tank
- 106 gal (400 L)
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Tankmates
- Tankmates with caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Rare
- Origin
- Irrawaddy and Sittaung basins, Myanmar
- Family
- Mastacembelidae
Overview
Keep the white-spotted spiny eel on its own, as it is solitary and will drive off others of its kind in a shared tank. It buries in sand and slips into rock crevices by day, staying near the bottom and coming out at night to forage. It is peaceful with tankmates too large to eat but will take small fish, so choose robust, calm companions rather than tiny or delicate ones. Feed meaty foods in the evening, such as earthworm, mussel, and frozen items like bloodworm, krill, and prawn. Because it grows large, give it around 400 liters with sand, crevice hides, and a heavy, close-fitting lid.
In the wild
The white-spotted spiny eel lives in the rivers of Myanmar, in the Irrawaddy and Sittaung drainages, over rocky beds with sand pockets and crevices. Set it up with a sand base, piled stone and pipe hides, and moderate, well-oxygenated flow. Keep it warm at about 23 to 28 C with a soft to neutral pH near 6.0 to 7.5, with clean, stable conditions and plenty of hard cover to shelter in.
Good to know
Mastacembelus alboguttatus is a spiny eel of the family Mastacembelidae, reaching about 49 centimeters. Boulenger described it in 1893, and the name means white-spotted, from albus for white and guttatus for speckled, after the round pale spots that dot its dark brown body and fins. The trade calls it the starlight eel. Spawning in aquaria has not been reported.
Did you know
The name alboguttatus means white-spotted, and the hobby calls it the starlight eel: a scatter of small round pale spots over a dark brown body, with no two individuals wearing quite the same arrangement of points.
Common questions
What size tank does a White-spotted spiny eel need?
A White-spotted spiny eel needs at least 106 gal (400 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH do White-spotted spiny eel need?
White-spotted spiny eel are comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.
How big do White-spotted spiny eel get?
An adult White-spotted spiny eel reaches about 19.3 in (49 cm).
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Related species
Marbled spiny eel
Mastacembelus favusFreshwater19.7 in (50 cm)119 gal (450 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Blackedge spiny eel
Mastacembelus nigromarginatusFreshwater19.7 in (50 cm)106 gal (400 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Eyespot spiny eel
Mastacembelus notophthalmusFreshwater17.7 in (45 cm)106 gal (400 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Tin Win's spiny eel
Mastacembelus tinwiniFreshwater17.7 in (45 cm)106 gal (400 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)White spot eel
Mastacembelus unicolorFreshwater21.7 in (55 cm)119 gal (450 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Liberian spiny eel
Mastacembelus liberiensisFreshwater15 in (38 cm)79 gal (300 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)