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Peacock Spiny Eel
Peacock Spiny Eel
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$14.99 USD
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$14.99 USD
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The peacock spiny eel (Macrognathus siamensis) is an elongated, freshwater fish native to Southeast Asia, known for its distinctive "eye spots" along its back. Despite its name and eel-like appearance, it is not a true eel but a member of the spiny eel family (Mastacembelidae).
Key Characteristics
- Appearance: It has a long, slender body, typically light to dark brown with a thin pale yellow stripe running from the eye to the tail base. Its most notable feature is a series of three to six circular, dark, peacock-like "eye spots" along the base of its soft dorsal fin, which serve as a potential defense mechanism. They have a pointed snout used for burrowing.
- Size: Peacock spiny eels typically grow to about 8 to 12 inches (20-30 cm) in length.
- Habitat and Behavior: They are found in slow-moving rivers, marshes, and rice paddies with soft, sandy, or muddy substrates. They are nocturnal bottom-dwellers, spending much of the daytime buried in the substrate, with only their snout protruding, and emerge at night to feed.
- Diet: They are carnivorous predators, primarily feeding on benthic crustaceans, insect larvae, and worms in the wild.
- Temperament: Generally peaceful, they can be housed in community aquariums with larger, non-aggressive fish. However, they may prey on very small fish or invertebrates that can fit in their mouths.
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