White-spotted spiny eel
Mastacembelus alboguttatus
Also known as Alboguttatus spiny eel, Starlight eel, Day's spiny eel, Leopard eel, Mastacembelus dayi
FreshwaterFish
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
- With caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Mastacembelidae
- Origin
- Irrawaddy and Sittaung basins, Myanmar
Overview
The white-spotted spiny eel is a large, solitary eel for a rocky, sand-bottomed tank. It is best with a little experience.
Did you know
The white-spotted spiny eel's scientific name, alboguttatus, means white-spotted, from albus for white and guttatus for speckled. The hobby calls it the starlight eel, for the scatter of small round pale spots over its dark brown body and fins. No two individuals wear quite the same arrangement of points.
Caring for the white-spotted spiny eel
Keep the white-spotted spiny eel in a tank of 106 gal (400 L) or larger, since it grows large. Give it a sand base, piled stone, pipe hides and plenty of hard cover to shelter in. Fit a heavy, close-fitting lid.
Keep the water soft to neutral, at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Keep conditions clean and stable, with moderate, well-oxygenated flow. By day it buries in sand or slips into rock crevices, and it comes out at night to forage. Feed meaty foods in the evening, such as earthworm, mussel, and frozen bloodworm, krill and prawn.
Keep it on its own, as it will drive off others of its kind in a shared tank. It is peaceful with tank mates too large to eat but will take small fish. Choose robust, calm companions rather than tiny or delicate ones. Spawning in aquariums has not been reported.
Good to know
Mastacembelus alboguttatus is a spiny eel of the family Mastacembelidae, described by Boulenger in 1893. It also goes by the names Day's spiny eel and leopard eel.
In the wild
The white-spotted spiny eel lives in the rivers of Myanmar, in the Irrawaddy and Sittaung drainages. It keeps to rocky beds with sand pockets and crevices.
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 does a white-spotted spiny eel need?
A white-spotted spiny eel is comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.
What does a white-spotted spiny eel eat?
A white-spotted spiny eel eats meaty foods such as earthworm, mussel, and frozen bloodworm, krill and prawn. Feed it in the evening, before it forages at night.
How big does a white-spotted spiny eel get?
An adult white-spotted spiny eel reaches about 19.3 in (49 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
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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)
21.7 in (55 cm)119 gal (450 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)White spot eel
Mastacembelus unicolor
21.7 in (55 cm) · 119 gal (450 L)
15 in (38 cm)79 gal (300 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Greshoff's spiny eel
Mastacembelus greshoffi
15 in (38 cm) · 79 gal (300 L)