Common name: Tire Track Eel

Scientific name: Mastacembelus armatus

Family: Mastacembelidae

Origin: Rivers with sandy riverbeds and heavy vegetation in India and Southeast Asia; Sumatra, Sri Lanka, Thailand

Maximum size: 36", however rarely exceeds 30" in captivity

Care: The largest of the commonly seen spiny eels. A minimum of a 180 gallon tank should be used to house this fish. Offer a sand substrate since the fish likes to burrow and dig in the sand, and by doing so, may uproot plants and rearrange decorations. As a result, plants are best left out. The addition of sea salt at the rate of 1 teaspoon per gallon is benefical. Soft to medium hard and neutral (pH 7.0) water of 24 to 28 centigrade (75-82f) is recommended and the tank has to be well filtered. As with all large predatory fish weekly water changes of 30 to 40% are recommended. Being predators and because of the huge adult size of the Tire Track Eel, they should only be combined with other fish that the eel will not consider as food and would not be eaten. Tankmates have to be large and robust.

Feeding: Live foods such as bloodworms, brineshrimp, mosquito larvae and small crusteaceans. Prepared tablet foods as well as krill and ocean plankton may eventually be accepted.

Breeding: Not known to breed in captivity. The female will be larger in the stomach region when ready to spawn though. Males persue the females and nudge them around until the eggs are scattered over the substrate. The eventual fry hide among plants and in the substrate.

Comments: Possible to become readily hand tame and eat out of the owner's hand. Special attention must be given to injured Tire Track Eels, as these wounds can easily become infected. Tire Track Eels are very much susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections.


Juvenile Tire Track Eel. Markings and patterns may differ between individuals.

This post has been edited by Straydum: Oct 10 2007, 12:05 PM