| Mastacembelus tanganicae | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Synbranchiformes |
| Family: | Mastacembelidae |
| Genus: | Mastacembelus |
| Species: | M. tanganicae |
| Binomial name | |
| Mastacembelus tanganicae Günther, 1893 | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
| |
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. [2]
Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is the second-oldest freshwater lake in the world, the second-largest by volume, and the second-deepest, in all cases after Lake Baikal in Siberia. It is the world's longest freshwater lake. The lake is shared between four countries—Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, and Zambia, with Tanzania (46%) and DRC (40%) possessing the majority of the lake. It drains into the Congo River system and ultimately into the Atlantic Ocean.
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 also found in the aquarium trade. Although it has declined locally because of this trade and overfishing for food, it remains common overall.
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 South East 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.
Acapoeta tanganicae, or the mbaraga, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. The genus Acopoeta is monotypic and is currently regarded as incertae sedis, as its placement within the large and varied assemblage of Cyprinidae is uncertain.
Bathybates minor is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is endemic to Lake Tanganyika where it forms schools and feeds mainly on clupeids, mostly Stolothrissa tanganicae.
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.
Mastacembelus platysoma is a species of fish, a spiny eel in the family Mastacembelidae. It is found in Lake Tanganyika which is bordered by Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania and Zambia. The IUCN has listed it as being of "Least Concern".
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.
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.
Oreochromis tanganicae, the Tanganyika tilapia, is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika and the mouths of its larger affluent rivers. This species can reach a length of 42 centimetres (17 in) SL.
The Lake Tanganyika sprat is a species of fish in the family Clupeidae. It is monotypic within the genus Stolothrissa. It is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes. It and the Lake Tanganyika sardine are known collectively as kapenta.
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.
Boulenger's spiny eel is a species of ray-finned fish endemic to India, Myanmar and Thailand, known from Sittaung River, Salween River and Manipur River and possibly Irrawaddy River. Inhabiting large rivers and tributaries, it is consumed by locals but is uncommon in the aquarium trade. It may be threatened by habitat loss for deforestation, dams and overfishing and is harmless to humans.
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