Synbranchiformes, often called swamp eels, is an order of ray-finned fishes that are eel-like but have spiny rays, indicating that they belong to the superorder Acanthopterygii.
The Mastacembelidae are a family of fishes, known as the spiny eels. The Mastacembelids are part of the Order Synbranchiformes, the swamp eels, which are part of the Actinopterygii.
The name spiny eel is used to describe members of two different families of fish: the freshwater Mastacembelidae of Asia and Africa, and the marine Notacanthidae. Both are so-named because of their eel-like shape and sturdy fin spines. These two families are not related: the Notacanthiformes belong to the Superorder Elopomorpha, whose members are characterized by having leptocephalus larvae. The freshwater Mastacembelids do not share this characteristic and are popular specimens in the aquarium trade.
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.
The fire eel 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. Although it has declined locally due to overfishing, it remains common overall.
Macrognathus is a genus of eel-like fish of the family Mastacembelidae of the order Synbranchiformes.
Sinobdella sinensis is an East Asian species of the spiny eel family of the order Synbranchiformes. It is the only species in the genus Sinobdella according to FishBase, but another species, S. dienbienensis, is placed there by Catalog of Fishes.
The zig-zag eel, also known as the tire-track eel, tire-track spiny eel or marbled spiny eel, is a species of ray-finned, spiny eels belonging to the genus Mastacembelus of the family Mastacembelidae, and is native to the riverine fauna of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia. The species was described as Macrognathus armatus by Lacepède in 1800. Other common names for this popular aquarium species are leopard spiny eel and white-spotted spiny eel. This species is not only a popular aquarium fish but also as a food fish in its country of origin.
Mastacembelus albomaculatus is a species of fish in the family Mastacembelidae. It is endemic to Lake Tanganyika and is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. It is found in rocky zones in the coastal area s of the lake.
Mastacembelus cunningtoni is a species of fish in the family Mastacembelidae. It is endemic to the Lake Tanganyika basin, including the Lakes outflow, the Lukuga River as far as the Kisimba-Kilia rapids. It occurs in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. The specific name of this fish honours the British zoologist and anthropologist William Alfred Cunnington (1877-1958), leader of the expedition to Lake Tanganyika which collected the type.
Mastacembelus flavidus is a species of fish in the family Mastacembelidae. It is endemic to Lake Tanganyika in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. It is found among rocks in shallow, coastal waters to a depth of 6 m (20 ft).
Mastacembelus micropectus is a species of fish in the family Mastacembelidae. It is endemic to Lake Tanganyika. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Mastacembelus moorii is a species of fish in the family Mastacembelidae. It is endemic to Lake Tanganyika where it is a secretive species hiding among rocks or in the sediment in the littoral zone. It grows to a total length of 44 centimetres (17 in). The specific name honours the leader of an expedition to Lake Tanganyika, the biologist John Edmund Sharrock Moore (1870-1947).
Mastacembelus ophidium is a species of fish in the family Mastacembelidae. It is endemic to Lake Tanganyika where it is a secretive fish, hiding in the sediment or between rocks on sandy shores.
Mastacembelus plagiostomus is a species of fish in the family Mastacembelidae. It is found in shallow waters with rock substrates and is endemic to Lake Tanganyika. It grows to 30 centimetres (12 in) standard length.
The Malawi spinyeel is a species of fish in the family Mastacembelidae from Africa. It is endemic to the Lake Malawi basin, including the main lake itself, Lake Malombe and the lower Shire River. It is the only described species of spinyeel in Lake Malawi, but a brightly marked variant, Mastacembelus sp. "Rosette" is also known. It is unclear if it is a variant of the Malawi spinyeel or an undescribed species. The Malawi spinyeel reaches about 30 cm (12 in) in length, and likely feeds on invertebrates and small fish.
Mastacembelus tanganicae is a species of fish in the family Mastacembelidae. It is endemic to Lake Tanganyika where it occurs in shallow areas with a rocky substrate.
The zebra spinyeel is a species of fish in the family Mastacembelidae. It is endemic to Lake Tanganyika where it is a secretive species which hides among rocks or in the sediments.
Mastacembelus ellipsifer is a species of spiny eel that is endemic to Lake Tanganyika in Africa and sometimes kept in aquariums. Although sometimes called the Tanganyikan spiny eel, it is only one of fifteen spiny eel species in the Tanganyikan basin.
Macrognathus zebrinus, the zebra spiny eel, is a species of spiny eel endemic to Myanmar, specifically known from the Irrawaddy River, Sittaung River and Salween River and may also occur in Indonesia. It was originally described as Mastacembelus zebrinus before being moved to the genus Macrognathus in 1984 and 1986.
