Odd Looking Loach?

Houndog · Post by **Houndog** » 07 Dec 2004, 02:52

This was sadly crushed at my LFS, it was brought in by a customer who no longer wanted it. I had a chance to buy it Friday but I wanted to identify it first but I waited too long, when I went in tonight it was deceased.

Any Ideas?

Post by **Silurus** » 07 Dec 2004, 03:05

It's a spiny eel (Macrognathus aculeatus).

Houndog · Post by **Houndog** » 07 Dec 2004, 03:28

Cool, thx.

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 07 Dec 2004, 11:33

i would have said it was Macrognathus siamensis myself.

i thought Macrognathus aculeatus displayed diagonal barring and no dorsal peacock eye spots.

try and get one though, dirt cheap, and bags of character!! they are about the smallest of the spiney eels. they only get to about 8 inches.

Definately one of the best fish i own. and for Â£4 !!!

sidguppy · Post by **sidguppy** » 07 Dec 2004, 22:26

That poor thing isn't in a good shape; seems like it's been stuck into something and pulled out....check the wound behind the head!
a healthy spiny eel cannot be held that way; they're fast and very agile, not to mention spiny

and slimy at the same time.

if you net one, it immedeately crawls out of the net!!
They're definitely fun to have; I have a distant relative in my tank (African Tanganyika eel) and it's tame (I can handfeed it, and it nips my fingers if I'm too slow), always waiting for a fresh earthworm when I approach the tank.

unfortunately they're highly territorial to each other; you should keep only one or a whole group (at least 8 or so) but then you need a fairly big tank.
be sure your tankhood is WELL CLOSED or you'll find him dead and dried on the floor one day

it's a true Houdini in all aspects.

acclimatized eels eat all kinds of stuff, but most flatly refuse flakefood. small fish hoever....

What's truly weird and worthy of investigation is that I've found Asians to be truly terrestrial diggers, whereas similar shaped Africans -both lake and riverine species- don't dig at all, but prefer rocky wedges and dense plants to hide in.

The Peacock EEl as in the pic is an Asian Digger, and a healthy one will ALWAYS be the LAST fish to be catched; AI when you empty the sand in a bucket

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 07 Dec 2004, 22:54

funny you mention the digging. everything i've read about these eels says they bury themselves. i've never seen mine in the sand once. or actually eat anything for that matter. he also disappeared for over a month!!

odd little creature.