# Spiny eel

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The name **spiny eel** is used to describe members of two different families of fish: the freshwater [Mastacembelidae](/source/Mastacembelidae) of Asia and Africa, and the marine (and generally deep sea) [Notacanthidae](/source/Notacanthidae). Both are so-named because of their [eel](/source/Anguillidae)-like shape and sturdy fin spines. These two families are not related: the [Notacanthiformes](/source/Notacanthiformes) belong to the Superorder [Elopomorpha](/source/Elopomorpha), whose members are characterized by having [leptocephalus](/source/Leptocephalus) larvae. The freshwater Mastacembelids do not share this characteristic and are popular specimens in the [aquarium trade](/source/Aquarium_trade).

Mastacembelid Spiny eels originate from three places. The Middle East, Southeast Asia and Subsaharan Africa.

In Africa alone there are 43 species known from two genera: *Aethiomastacembelus*, with 19 known species, and *Afromastacembelus*, with 24 known species. Spiny Eels from Sri Lanka, China, Southeast Asia and India are also from two genera: *Macrognathus* and *Mastacembelus*. The most commonly found Spiny eels in the Aquarium trade are the *Macrognathus* and *Mastacembelus* from Sri Lanka, China, Southeast Asia and India. These include such eels as the Peacock and Striped Peacock, the Tire Track and or White spotted eel, the Zig Zag, Fire, Siamese, and Zebra eels.

## Sources

- [http://www.fishinthe.net/html/section-viewarticle-54.html](http://www.fishinthe.net/html/section-viewarticle-54.html)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Spiny eel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiny_eel) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiny_eel?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.