Half-banded Spiny Eel (Mastacembelus circumcinctus) Care Guide
A modest Indochinese spiny eel with bold dark bars on the upper body, reaching about 29 cm, suited to smaller eel setups.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Mastacembelus circumcinctus, the half-banded spiny eel, is a modest-sized elongated freshwater fish of the family Mastacembelidae from Indochina. It carries bold dark bars on the upper body that fade toward the belly. (FishBase lists this taxon under the genus Macrognathus.)
Taxonomy
- Family: Mastacembelidae
- Genus: Mastacembelus
- Scientific name: Mastacembelus circumcinctus
Habitat
FishBase records the species from the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins, southeastern Thailand, the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra in Indonesia. It is a demersal freshwater fish of streams, peat areas and medium to large rivers with flooded fields.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 150 L
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (75-82 °F)
- pH: 6.5-7.5
- GH: 5-15 °dGH
- Lifespan: 8-10 years
- Substrate: sand (for burrowing)
Diet
The half-banded spiny eel is a nocturnal carnivore that hunts invertebrates and small fishes. In the aquarium it is fed roughly every two days on meaty and live foods.
Compatibility
It is a peaceful, crepuscular bottom-dweller. Mid-size barbs make suitable companions, while tiny nano fish and shrimp should be avoided as they may be eaten.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2019).
Half-banded Spiny Eel Breeding Guide
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.