Aethiomastacembelus ellipsifer

Aethiomastacembelus ellipsifer
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Osteichthyes
Order:	Synbranchiformes
Family:	Mastacembelidae
Genus:	Aethiomastacembelus
Species:	A. ellipsifer
Binomial name
Aethiomastacembelus ellipsifer (Boulenger, 1899)

Aethiomastacembelus ellipsifer (common name is Tanganyikan Spiny Eel) is a species of spiny eel. It is endemic to Lake Tanganyika and can be kept in captivity.

Description

The eel is 45 centimeters (18 in) long. The color is brownish-beige with a ring-shaped dark brown pattern. The dorsal fins are hard.^[1] The fish is endemic to Lake Tanganyika and can commonly be found along the shores of the lake. It can commonly be found in intermediate zones.^[1] The eels prefer coastal waters with a sandy, rock, or a muddy bottom. The species environment is benthopelagic freshwater.^[2] The eels eat small fish in the wild. The species is nocturnal.^[1] Human uses for this eel are fisheries and aquariums. The eel is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.^[2] It was one of the species that was photographed as part of a FishBase mission which had the primary objective to document and photograph the rich fish diversity of Lake Tanganyika with the help of ichthyologist Dr. Tyson R. Roberts.^[3]

Aquarium

In captivity, they eat small animals such as prawn, cockle, mussel, earthworms,^[1] shrimp,^[4] and bloodworm. The aquarium needs piles of rocks for sheltered areas. The base of the tank needs to be covered in sand; gravel should not be used because it can damage the eel's skin. If there is light, it should be dim.^[1] The temperature of the water needs to be 73–81°F (23–27°C), the pH in the range 8.0–9.5, and the hardness 8–25°H.^[1] Breeding has never occurred in tanks. The tank size needs to be 88 US gallons (330 l; 73 imp gal).^[4]

The species might cohabit with other species that are too large for it to eat.^[1] However, it can be aggressive to other species and might require more space.^[4]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} "Aethiomastacembelus ellipsifer - Tanganyikan Spiny Eel". Seriously Fish. http://www.seriouslyfish.com/profile.php?genus=Aethiomastacembelus&species=ellipsifer&id=667#top. Retrieved 2010-06-07. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2010). "Aethiomastacembelus ellipsifer" in FishBase. June 2010 version.
3. ^ "Lake Tanganyika: Kigoma, Tanzania and Mpulungu, Zambia". FishBase. http://www.fishbase.org/Training/Reports/Kenya/MR_Ken02.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-07. 
4. ^ ^{a b c} "Aethiomastacembelus ellipsiferA". African Cichlids. http://www.riftlakes.com/cichlids/aethiomastacembelus_ellipsifer_e.html. Retrieved 2010-06-07.