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The lesser spiny eel, ''Macrognathus aculeatus'', is a Southeast Asian tropical freshwater
The eel has an upper-body that is yellow, a black line down the middle and the lower-body is usually a mix of white and brown. Along the backbone of the eel, the dorsal fin is preceded by numerous isolated small spines that can be raised, giving them the name. The dorsal fin also has many prominent eyespots along the base. There are many different variations of the Spiny Eel. They can grow up to be 14 inches long (35 centimeters), but are usually smaller.
fish
Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of ...
belonging to the family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Mastacembelidae
The Mastacembelidae are a family of fishes, known as the spiny eels. The Mastacembelids are part of the Order Synbranchiformes, the swamp eels, which are part of the Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes).
In an evaluation of the family in 2004, the ...
. They are uncommonly found in aquaria.
Physical characteristics
The eel has an upper-body that is yellow, a black line down the middle and the lower-body is usually a mix of white and brown. Along the backbone of the eel, the dorsal fin is preceded by numerous isolated small spines that can be raised, giving them the name. The dorsal fin also has many prominent eyespots along the base. There are many different variations of the Spiny Eel. They can grow up to be 14 inches long (35 centimeters), but are usually smaller.
Distribution and habitat
This fish is found inSoutheast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...
from locations such as Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
, Borneo
Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and ea ...
, and Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
. They occur in medium to large-sized rivers. They are found in lowland wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...
s and peat
Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficient ...
s. These fish are an uncommon aquarium fish.
Behavior
They're crepuscular and nocturnal burrowers. They may prey on small fish.References