Mastacembelus
Mastacembelus is a genus of many species of spiny eel fish from the family Mastacembelidae. They are native to Africa and Asia. Most are found in rivers and associated systems, but there are also species in other freshwater habitats and a particularly rich radiation is found in the Lake Tanganyika basin with 15 species. A few species can even occur in brackish water.
Appearance
The size and pattern varies greatly depending on the exact species of Mastacembelus. The smallest are M. latens and M. simba, which only reach a maximum total length of. At up to, the largest of both the family and this genus is M. erythrotaenia. M. erythrotaenia, often known as the fire eel, is blackish with an orange-red pattern, and it is a popular aquarium fish. Otherwise species in this genus are typically brownish and often have a spotted, speckled or mottled pattern, either in another brown hue, grayish or yellowish. This pattern is reflected in the common name of another species sometimes kept in aquariums, the zig-zag eel M. armatus. A few others also occasionally appear in the aquarium trade, and some are considered good food fish and eaten locally. M aviceps, M. brichardi, M. crassus and M. latens are found in dark, deep parts of the Congo River and sometimes shallower among rocks. These four species have reduced eyes and are all pinkish-white in color, similar to cavefish.
Taxonomy
In an evaluation of the Mastacembelidae in 2005, the genera Caecomastacembelus and Aethiomastacembelus were placed in synonymy with Mastacembelus.
Species
According to FishBase, there are currently 63 recognized species in this genus. Five additional species are recognized by Catalog of Fishes.Mastacembelus alboguttatus Boulenger, 1893Mastacembelus albomaculatus Poll, 1953Mastacembelus ansorgii Boulenger, 1905Mastacembelus apectoralis K. J. Brown, Britz, I. R. Bills, Rüber & J. J. Day, 2011Mastacembelus armatus Mastacembelus aviceps T. R. Roberts & D. J. Stewart, 1976Mastacembelus batesii* Boulenger, 1911Mastacembelus brachyrhinus Boulenger, 1899Mastacembelus brichardi Poll, Mastacembelus catchpolei Fowler, 1936Mastacembelus congicus Boulenger, 1896Mastacembelus crassus T. R. Roberts & D. J. Stewart, 1976Mastacembelus cryptacanthus Günther, 1867Mastacembelus cunningtoni Boulenger, 1906Mastacembelus dayi Boulenger, 1912 – junior synonym of M. alboguttatus according to Catalog of FishesMastacembelus decorsei Pellegrin, 1919Mastacembelus dienbienensis V. H. Nguyễn & H. D. Nguyễn, 2005 – belongs in genus Sinobdella according to Catalog of FishesMastacembelus ellipsifer Boulenger, 1899Mastacembelus erythrotaenia Bleeker, 1850 Mastacembelus favus Hora, 1924 Mastacembelus flavidus Matthes, 1962Mastacembelus flavomarginatus* Boulenger, 1898Mastacembelus frenatus Boulenger, 1901 Mastacembelus goro* Boulenger, 1902Mastacembelus greshoffi Boulenger, 1901Mastacembelus kadeiensis Roberts, 2020Mastacembelus kakrimensis Vreven & Teugels, 2005Mastacembelus latens T. R. Roberts & D. J. Stewart, 1976Mastacembelus liberiensis Boulenger, 1898Mastacembelus loennbergii Boulenger, 1898Mastacembelus malabaricus* Jerdon, 1849Mastacembelus marchei Sauvage, 1879Mastacembelus mastacembelus Mastacembelus micropectus Matthes, 1962Mastacembelus moorii Boulenger, 1898Mastacembelus niger Sauvage, 1879Mastacembelus nigromarginatus Boulenger, 1898Mastacembelus notophthalmus T. R. Roberts, 1989Mastacembelus oatesii Boulenger, 1893Mastacembelus ophidium Günther, 1894Mastacembelus pani* Endruweit, 2024 Mastacembelus pantherinus Britz, 2007Mastacembelus paucispinis Boulenger, 1899Mastacembelus plagiostomus Matthes, 1962Mastacembelus platysoma Poll & Matthes, 1962Mastacembelus polli Vreven, 2005Mastacembelus praensis Mastacembelus reygeli Vreven & Snoeks, 2009Mastacembelus robertsi Mastacembelus sanagali Thys van den Audenaerde, 1972Mastacembelus seiteri Thys van den Audenaerde, 1972Mastacembelus sexdecimspinus Mastacembelus shiloangoensis Mastacembelus shiranus Günther, 1896 Mastacembelus simbi Vreven & Stiassny, 2009Mastacembelus strigiventus W. Zhou & L. P. Yang, 2011Mastacembelus taiaensis Mastacembelus tanganicae Günther, 1894Mastacembelus thacbaensis V. H. Nguyễn & H. D. Nguyễn, 2005 – junior synonym of M. undulatus according to Catalog of FishesMastacembelus tinwini Britz, 2007Mastacembelus traversi Mastacembelus triolobus W. Zhou & L. P. Yang, 2011Mastacembelus trispinosus Steindachner, 1911Mastacembelus truttoides* Endruweit, 2024 Mastacembelus ubangipaucispinis Roberts, 2020Mastacembelus undulatus Mastacembelus unicolor G. Cuvier, 1832Mastacembelus vanderwaali P. H. Skelton, 1976 Mastacembelus zebratus Matthes, 1962