Macrognathus siamensis
| Macrognathus siamensis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Synbranchiformes |
| Family: | Mastacembelidae |
| Genus: | Macrognathus |
| Species: | M. siamensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Macrognathus siamensis (Günther, 1861) | |
Macrognathus siamensis is a tropical fish belonging to the Mastacembelidae family.
As an aquarium fish it is known with the common name peacock eel or peacock spiny eel.[1]
Description and ecology
Macrognathus siamensis has been recorded to reach a maximum length of 30 centimetres (12 in).[2] M. siamensis is a freshwater species, generally found at the bottoms of bodies of water. It is found in the rivers of Southeast Asia, including the Mekong, Chao Phraya, and Mae Klong. During the day, Macrognathus siamensis buries itself in the river bottom, coming out at night to feed on insects, crustaceans, and worms.[2]
In the aquarium
Although usually peaceful, they will eat any fish smaller than their mouths (ex. neon tetra); like most eels, they need places to hide, such as driftwood or artificial decorations, coming out usually only at night to feed, hence they should be fed at night. They are notorious jumpers, and will use open areas and even external filters to escape.
References
- ↑ "The truth about spiny eels | Practical Fishkeeping magazine". Retrieved 2008-11-24.
- 1 2 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2010). "Macrognathus siamensis" in FishBase. July 2010 version.