Mastacembelus armatus

An intricately marked member of the spiny eel family (Mastacembelidae), the Tiretrack Eel is found in river systems throughout much of Southeast Asia including Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. In the wild it tends to be found in shallow, relatively slow moving waters including small rivers, swamps, and seasonally flooded forest. In the aquarium, Tiretrack Eels are often shy at first but are intelligent and personable fish which will soon learn to beg for food and recognize their owners. A predator in the wild, they will readily feed on live feeder fish and earthworms at first and can be weaned on to frozen foods over time. Hardy and adaptable, they make an excellent addition to an aquarium large enough to house what will be a substantially large fish as an adult and will get along well with most tankmates too large to be eaten.