Mastacembelus erythrotaenia, Photo: Michael Lahanas
Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Superclassis/Classis: Actinopterygii
Classis/Subclassis: Actinopteri
Subclassis/Infraclassis: Neopterygii
Infraclassis: Teleostei
Megacohors: Osteoglossocephalai
Supercohors: Clupeocephala
Cohors: Euteleosteomorpha
Subcohors: Neoteleostei
Infracohors: Eurypterygia
Sectio: Ctenosquamata
Subsectio: Acanthomorphata
Divisio/Superordo: Acanthopterygii
Subdivisio: Percomorphaceae
Series: Anabantaria
Ordo: Synbranchiformes
Familia: Mastacembelidae
Genus: Mastacembelus
Species: Mastacembelus erythrotaenia
Name
Mastacembelus erythrotaenia Bleeker, 1850
Vernacular names
English: Fire spiny eel
ไทย: ปลากระทิงไฟ, ปลากระทิงลายดอกไม้
References
IUCN: Mastacembelus erythrotaenia Bleeker, 1850 (Least Concern)
The fire eel (Mastacembelus erythrotaenia) is a relatively large species of spiny eel. This omnivorous freshwater fish is native to in Southeast Asia but is also found in the aquarium trade.[1][3] Although it has declined locally (especially in parts of Cambodia and Thailand) due to overfishing, it remains common overall.[1]
Description
The fire eel is not a true eel, but an extremely elongated fish with a distinctive pointed snout and underslung mouth. It is part of spiny eels family, Mastacembelidae. The group gets its common name from the many small dorsal spines that precede the dorsal fin.
The body is laterally compressed, particularly the rear third, where it flattens as it joins the caudal fin and forms an extended tail. The fire eel's base coloring is dark brown/grey, while the belly is generally a lighter shade of the same color. Several bright red lateral stripes and spots mark the body and vary in intensity depending on the age and condition of the individual. Usually, the markings are yellow/amber in juvenile fish, changing to a deep red in larger ones. Often the anal, pectoral, and dorsal fins have a red edging.
The fire eel is the largest species in its family and can reach up to 1 m (3.3 ft) in length.[4][5]
Range, habitat and behavior
Fire eels occur across a relatively broad area covering a large part of lowland Southeast Asia, including central and southern Thailand, Cambodia, southern Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo (Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia), and Sumatra (Indonesia).[1][3] They inhabit slow-moving rivers and flood plains, and are bottom-dwellers that typically are found in places with a muddy bottom.[1][3] They spend large portions of their time buried in the riverbed, often leaving only their snout visible.
The fire eel feeds on invertebrates (such as insect larvae, worms, and crustaceans), smaller fish, plant matter, and detritus.[3][5] In captivity, they only rarely eat plant matter.[5]
References
Vidthayanon, C.; Daniels, A. (2020). "Mastacembelus erythrotaenia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T180888A89815119. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T180888A89815119.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
"BioLib - Mastacembelus erythrotaenia". BioLib. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Mastacembelus erythrotaenia". FishBase. August 2017 version.
Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2017). Species of Mastacembelus in FishBase. April 2017 version.
"Mastacembelus erythrotaenia (Fire Eel)". Seriously Fish. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
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