Zebra spiny eel

Care at a glance

Overview

A moderate spiny eel reaching about 30 cm, it suits a tank of at least 160 litres with a deep, soft sand bed and a tight lid. Keep it at 22 to 27 C and pH 6.5 to 7.5. It is peaceful and can be kept in a group or with calm mid-sized tankmates too large to eat. Feed bloodworm, earthworms and other small meaty foods, ideally after dark.

In the wild

The zebra spiny eel is a slender burrowing fish barred with dark zebra-like stripes and tipped with a small movable snout. It sifts sand for food and buries itself with only the head showing. It is more peaceful and manageable than the larger spiny eels.

Good to know

Macrognathus zebrinus comes from Myanmar and stays around 25 to 30 cm in aquaria, smaller than its big Mastacembelus relatives. Like all spiny eels it has a row of short dorsal spines ahead of the soft fin. It uses its flexible snout to probe sand for worms and larvae.

Did you know

Spiny eels sift mouthfuls of sand for hidden worms, then blow the clean grains back out through the gills.

Related species

• 

  Peacock Spiny Eel

  Macrognathus siamensis

  11.8 in (30 cm)70 gal (265 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
• Lesser spiny eel

  Macrognathus aculeatus

  15 in (38 cm)85 gal (320 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)

• 

  Half-banded spiny eel

  Macrognathus circumcinctus

  7.9 in (20 cm)57 gal (215 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
• Marbled spiny eel

  Mastacembelus favus

  19.7 in (50 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)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Fire eel

  Mastacembelus erythrotaenia

  39.4 in (100 cm)132 gal (500 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)