Half-banded Spiny Eel Breeding Guide

Mastacembelus circumcinctus is rarely spawned in aquaria; documented spiny-eel reproduction relies on hormone induction at fish farms.

Overview

The half-banded spiny eel is an Indochinese demersal fish. FishBase records the species under the name Macrognathus circumcinctus (Hora, 1924) and reports a maximum length of about 28.6 cm TL, distribution across the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins, southeastern Thailand, the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, and a conservation status of Least Concern. It is nocturnal and feeds on invertebrates and small fishes.

Aquarium reproduction of this particular species is not documented in the reviewed scientific sources, and only general genus-level information is available. The notes below therefore describe what is reported for related spiny eels rather than a confirmed protocol for this species.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

Peer-reviewed aquaculture studies on related spiny eels (for example Mastacembelus pancalus and M. armatus) report that spawning is reliably obtained only with injected hormones such as ovaprim, HCG or pituitary-gland extract, given to females in a lower priming dose followed by a higher resolving dose, with a single dose to males. Reported successful breeding occurred at roughly 29 °C with pH near 8. No equivalent voluntary aquarium spawning is documented for the half-banded spiny eel itself.

Egg & Fry Care

In the induced-breeding studies on related species, larvae underwent metamorphosis over roughly 35 days and continued organ development to about 45 days, with larval survival around 31 % under hatchery conditions. These figures are species-specific to the studied eels and are provided only as context, since fry data for Mastacembelus circumcinctus have not been published.