One of the lesser spiny eels is the Half-banded Spiny Eel, Macrognathus circumcinctus. Despite not being regarded as real eels, all members of the Mastacembelidae family of spiny eels have eel-like body shapes. It has an extended body with a long, pointed snout at the end. This attractive fish can grow to a maximum size of little around 8 inches. Greater specimens will require a larger space than juveniles up to around 3 inches in length, which can be housed in about 10 gallons. A tank measuring 36 inches long and holding around 35 gallons is required for adults.
Habitat
Hora first described the Half-banded Spiny Eel (formerly known as Mastacembelus circumcinctus) in 1924. The Mekong and Chao Phraya basins, southern Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Indonesia are among the Asian regions where they can be found. They live in the swiftly flowing waters of rivers and streams with sand or pebbled bottoms and typically thick vegetation. During the dry season, they also move into floodplains, lakes, and canals. As nocturnal creatures, they spend the day partially buried in the substrate before emerging at night to hunt for invertebrates and tiny fish to eat.
Traits
The Half-banded Spiny Eel has an extended body and a pointed snout. The very tiny caudal fin is reached by the extension of the dorsal and anal fins. These fish can reach about 8 inches (20 cm) in length and typically live 5 to 10 years, though with good care, they can live up to 15 years. A cream to light brown coloring makes up the background. Its body is decorated with a variety of erratic vertical dark markings that run the entire length of it.
Its dark markings’ pattern gave rise to the common name “half-banded.” The markings are particularly prominent on the upper two thirds of the body. But below it, the markings narrow into extensions that span the bottom half totally or partially. There is a yellow variant of M. circumcinctus as well. The black pigment is either completely absent in this type or is present sparingly.
Keeping as Pet
Foods
Carnivores include the Half-banded Spiny Eels. They favor a diet of live, fresh-frozen items like brine shrimp, black worms, earthworms, or bloodworms, as do all spiny eels. Although it’s not always assured, it might be trained to accept freeze-dried substitutes. Make sure their tank mates are too big to fit in their mouths because they will also consume little fish.
This fish prefers to be fed at night when the lights are out because it is a nocturnal animal. Eels only need to be fed once every two to three weeks, and some may reject food supplied more frequently than that. Frequently, the people living in the middle and on top consume all the food before it sinks.
Social Behaviors
Despite being a nocturnal animal, they are often calm and reserved. Although this fish is not particularly aggressive, smaller tank mates may get eaten because of their big mouths. In the wild, they often eat little fish that are less than 2 inches long. Though some will are noticeably more aggressive than others, they generally ignore their tankmates. Keep spiny eels alone unless you intend to procreate because some species can become hostile and territorial with other members of their own species.
When first introduced to a new aquarium, these eels are known to be quite shy and occasionally refuse to eat. Until your spiny eel settles down, it is advisable to avoid tank mates like catfish or loaches. These fish will just eat anything presented to them too rapidly, preventing the eel from becoming at ease enough to feed freely.
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