Peacock Eel Breeding Guide

Breeding the peacock eel (Macrognathus siamensis): a flood-season spawner of Southeast Asia not bred in home aquaria, only in research settings.

Overview

Macrognathus siamensis is a spiny eel of Southeast Asian freshwaters. It is an egg-laying species that breeds in the wild during the wet season, when adjacent forests flood. Its larvae reach 8 cm (2 in) in length in approximately 60 days after hatching.

Sexing

Males and females are hard to tell apart through external means, and no reliable visual sexing characteristic is documented for the species.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

In nature the spawning trigger is the wet season, when surrounding forests flood and provide spawning and nursery habitat. Controlled breeding has been documented only in a scientific study; the spawning sequence and egg-deposition behaviour are not detailed for aquarium hobbyists.

Egg & Fry Care

The one reproductive growth figure documented is larval development: larvae reach about 8 cm in roughly 60 days after hatching. Detailed egg counts, incubation time and fry-rearing protocols for this species are not provided in the consulted sources.