Tire Track Eel
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The zig-zag eel (''Mastacembelus armatus'' Scopoli, 1777'), also known as the Baim, tire-track, tire-track spiny-eel, freshwater spiny eel, or marbled spiny eel, is a
species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of freshwater
ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fish or actinopterygians, is a class of bony fish that comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. They are so called because of their lightly built fins made of webbings of sk ...
in the
family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Mastacembelidae 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 (ray-finned fishes). In an evaluation of the family in 2004, the ...
. It is native to the
river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
ine systems of the Indian Subcontinent (
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
,
Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
,
Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
),
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
,
South China South China ( zh, s=, p=Huá'nán, j=jyut6 naam4) is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is ...
,
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
,
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
,
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
,
Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
,
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
, and other parts of
South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
and
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
. The species was initially described as ''Macrognathus armature'' ( Lacepède, 1800). Other common names for this popular captive species include the leopard spiny eel and white-spotted spiny eel. This eel has remained fairly popular as an
aquarium An aquarium (: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. fishkeeping, Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquati ...
fish for years, owing to its unique appearance and behaviors. Additionally, like other species of
eel Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 20 families, 164 genera, and about 1000 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...
s throughout the world, the zig-zag eel serves as a viable
protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...
and food source for humans, aquatic reptiles, birds and other, larger fishes throughout much of its range.Butler, Rhett Ayers, Tire track Eel, Spiny Eel, White-spotted Spiny Eel (Mastacembelus armatus), Tropical Freshwater Aquarium Fish (TFAF), 1995 and Mongabay.com, 2006
retrieved on: 5 June 2007.
As a food source, zig-zag eels are consumed locally along the rivers they inhabit and are prepared in various ways including, smoked, barbecued, fried, curried, pickled, and dried. In traditional medicinal practices in Punjab, the oral ingestion of the meat and topical application of the skin and oil of the fish is used as a treatment for muscle soreness.


Description

''Mastacembelus armatus'' is a large elongated fish that has a snake-like body without
pelvic The pelvis (: pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of an anatomical trunk, between the abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also called bony pelvis or pelvic skeleton). ...
fins. Its
anal Anal may refer to: Related to the anus *Related to the anus of animals: ** Anal fin, in fish anatomy ** Anal vein, in insect anatomy ** Anal scale, in reptile anatomy *Related to the human anus: ** Anal sex, a type of sexual activity involving ...
and
dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates. Dorsal fins have evolved independently several times through convergent evolution adapting to marine environments, so the fins are not all homologous. They are found ...
s are elongated and are connected to the
caudal fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the back bone and are supported only ...
. The dorsal fin is preceded by numerous spines.Foster and Smith, Veterinary & Aquatic Services Department, Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc., PetEducation.com, 2007
retrieved on: 5 June 2007.
A pattern of black dots is located on either side of the dorsal fin mimicking the pattern of the sandy and rocky substrates it dwells among to hide from predatory fishes looking down from above. The back is dark
beige Beige ( ) is variously described as a pale sandy fawn color, a grayish tan, a light-grayish yellowish brown, or a pale to grayish yellow. It takes its name from French, where the word originally meant natural wool that has been neither ble ...
in color while the head is
silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...
-beige. The body's color is dull brown and the
belly Belly may refer to: Anatomy * The abdomen, the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax; or the stomach ** A beer belly, an overhang of fat above the waist, presumed to be caused by regular beer drinking ** Belly dance * The fleshy, ce ...
is a lighter
shade Shade, Shades or Shading may refer to: * Shade (color), a mixture of a color with black (often generalized as any variety of a color) * Shade (shadow), the blocking of sunlight * Shades or sunglasses * Shading, a process used in art and graphic ...
of brown. The brown tones of the zig-zag eel's coloration grant an advantage in concealing itself from both predators and prey in the turbid water environments that it inhabits. The body may also be marked with brown
circular Circular may refer to: * The shape of a circle * ''Circular'' (album), a 2006 album by Spanish singer Vega * Circular letter (disambiguation), a document addressed to many destinations ** Government circular, a written statement of government pol ...
pattern A pattern is a regularity in the world, in human-made design, or in abstract ideas. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner. A geometric pattern is a kind of pattern formed of geometric shapes and typically repeated l ...
s. The body also has one to three darker longitudinal zigzag lines that connect to form a distinct reticulated pattern that is restricted to the dorsal two-thirds of the body. The
eyes An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the ey ...
have brown stripes running
lateral Lateral is a geometric term of location which may also refer to: Biology and healthcare * Lateral (anatomy), a term of location meaning "towards the side" * Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle, an intrinsic muscle of the larynx * Lateral release ( ...
ly through them. Zig-zag eels lack gill rackers as they are adapted to a predatory diet. ''Mastacembelus armatus'' can reach up to in its natural
habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...
but does not usually exceed in captivity. Typically adult males range from 37 to 49 cm in the wild and females range from 40 to 52 cm while juveniles tend to range from 14 to 27 cm in length. ''Mastacembelus armatus'' also have unique variations in its internal physiology that indicate adaptation to its environmental niche. This species has two pairs of nostrils that help it detect changes in its turbid water surroundings and detect chemical cues associated with food making it an excellent ambush predator. Its elongated snout has tube shaped anterior nostrils and oval shaped posterior nostrils located near the eye. ''Mastacembelus armatus'' exhibit interspecific variation in the number of olfactory lamellae, structures that aid the fish in scent recognition. Individuals possess various numbers ranging from 60 to 76 lamellae. The age of a zig-zag eel can be determined by the length of the fish and the radius of its scales which have a linear relationship. As these fish age they develop growth ring on their scales called annuli. These rings form during the annual monsoon season and the fish faces changes in food availability and spawning pressures that limit growth during this season. Zig-zag eels sampled from their natural habitat average about four annuli maximum on their scales suggesting a longevity of four years in the wild. Despite its eel-like appearance, ''Mastacembelus armatus'' is not considered a
true eel Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 20 families, 164 genera, and about 1000 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...
as it belongs to the order
synbranchiformes Synbranchiformes, often called swamp eels, though that name can also refer specifically to Synbranchidae, is an order of ray-finned fishes that are eel-like but have spiny rays, indicating that they belong to the superorder Acanthopterygii. ...
rather than anguiliformes.


Habitat and distribution

''Mastacembelus armatus'' are
nocturnal Nocturnality is a ethology, behavior in some non-human animals characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatur ...
fish that thrive in
highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...
streams A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long, large stream ...
,
lowland Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland. Definitions Upland and lowland are portions of a ...
wetlands A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...
, still waters,
coastal A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...
marshes In ecology, a marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous plants rather than by woody plants.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p More in general ...
and rivers with sandy or rocky
riverbeds A streambed or stream bed is the bottom of a stream or river and is confined within a channel or the banks of the waterway. Usually, the bed does not contain terrestrial (land) vegetation and instead supports different types of aquatic vegeta ...
and heavy vegetation. These
potamodromous Fish migration is animal migration, mass relocation by fish from one area or body of water to another. Many types of fish migrate on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annually or longer, and over distances ranging from a few ...
fish migrate throughout rivers and streams. Their migratory behavior results in genetic variation between populations that are not connected through river systems or do not interact along their migratory routes. Most zig-zag eels best tolerate a pH range of 6.5–7.5 and prefer tropical water temperatures between 22 and 28 °C. However, Some populations live in rivers at higher elevation where the water is supplied by snow melt from the Himalayas and can withstand much cooler water temperatures. They are common during the
tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...
summer months and will dwell in
canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...
s,
lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...
s and other
floodplain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river. Floodplains stretch from the banks of a river channel to the base of the enclosing valley, and experience flooding during periods of high Discharge (hydrolog ...
areas during the
flood A flood is an overflow of water (list of non-water floods, or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant con ...
season.


Feeding

Being
nocturnal Nocturnality is a ethology, behavior in some non-human animals characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatur ...
carnivores A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant whose nutrition and energy requirements are met by consumption of animal tissues (mainly mu ...
, zig-zag eels forage on
benthic The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean, lake, or stream, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface layers. The name comes from the Ancient Greek word (), meaning "the depths". ...
insect Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...
larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...
e,
earthworms An earthworm is a soil-dwelling terrestrial animal, terrestrial invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Annelida. The term is the common name for the largest members of the class (biology), class (or subclass (biology), subclass, depending on ...
, blackworms and some submerged plant material. Zig-zag eels mainly feed on small teleosts making up 30–40% of their diet.
Teleost Teleostei (; Ancient Greek, Greek ''teleios'' "complete" + ''osteon'' "bone"), members of which are known as teleosts (), is, by far, the largest group of ray-finned fishes (class Actinopterygii), with 96% of all neontology, extant species of f ...
s consumed include Barilus, Aspidoparia, Salmophasia, Gudusia,
Gonialosa ''Gonialosa'' is a genus of gizzard shads that are found in the rivers of South and Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the region ...
, Chela, and Sicamugil. The second largest part of their diet is insects making up ~25% of their food intake and mostly consisting of
diptera Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advance ...
n larvae. This is followed by mollusks that make up ~17% of their diet and is largely made up of Bellamya and
Corbicula ''Corbicula'' is a genus of freshwater and brackish water clams, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the family Cyrenidae, the basket clams.Gofas, S. (2015). Cyrenidae Gray, 1847. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Sp ...
.
Crustacean Crustaceans (from Latin meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones") are invertebrate animals that constitute one group of arthropods that are traditionally a part of the subphylum Crustacea (), a large, diverse group of mainly aquatic arthrop ...
s and
Annelid The annelids (), also known as the segmented worms, are animals that comprise the phylum Annelida (; ). The phylum contains over 22,000 extant species, including ragworms, earthworms, and leeches. The species exist in and have adapted to vario ...
s formed a smaller portion of the diet with the presence of shrimps and crabs indicating bottom feeding behavior. The majority of the diet being made of teleosts suggests majority of feeding takes place suspended in water column. Prey is swallowed whole by this species as it lacks the jaw structures to chew. Their diet changes depending on seasonal availability of food sources and they consume more small fishes in the summer and freshwater prawns in winter months. Feeding intensity changes with physiological changes in growth reproductive development as well as seasonal environmental changes. Juvenile feeding intensity peaks in early winter while male and female adult feeding intensity is peaks in early summer and late winter respectively. ''Mastacembelus armatus'' fulfils the role of an intermediate predator in the freshwater ecosystem. Reduction in populations of this species poses a risk of trophic cascade. In an aquarium setting, they require live foods in their diet such as live fish,
tubifex worms ''Tubifex'' is a cosmopolitan genus of tubificid annelids that inhabits the sediments of lakes, rivers and occasionally sewer lines. At least 13 species of ''Tubifex'' have been identified, with the exact number not certain, as the species a ...
, brine shrimps,
mosquito Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a Family (biology), family of small Diptera, flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word ''mosquito'' (formed by ''Musca (fly), mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish and Portuguese for ''little fly''. Mos ...
larvae, frozen bloodworms,
cyclops In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; , ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguished. In Hesiod's ''Th ...
,
krill Krill ''(Euphausiids)'' (: krill) are small and exclusively marine crustaceans of the order (biology), order Euphausiacea, found in all of the world's oceans. The name "krill" comes from the Norwegian language, Norwegian word ', meaning "small ...
and ocean
plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms that drift in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphere, air) but are unable to actively propel themselves against ocean current, currents (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are ca ...
.


Reproduction

Male and female zig-zag eels are only distinguishable when
mature Mature is the adjectival form of maturity, as immature is the adjectival form of immaturity, which have several meanings. Mature or immature may also refer to: * Mature, a character from ''The King of Fighters'' series *"Mature 17+", a rating in ...
. Females are normally plumper than males. The relatively low fecundity of zig-zag eels leaves them vulnerable to exploitation through overfishing and population decline from pollutants. In their natural habitat, these fishes spawn underneath rocky substrates during the monsoon season. there are no known successful breeding programs in
captivity Captivity, or being held captive, is a state wherein humans or other animals are confined to a particular space and prevented from leaving or moving freely. An example in humans is imprisonment. Prisoners of war are usually held in captivity by a ...
but there are efforts being made to expand knowledge of successful captive breeding in order to expand the use of this species in aquaculture.


Conservation status

Globally categorized as least concern yet endangered in Bangladesh as of 2000. Considered vulnerable in Telangana and Tamil Nadu but least concern in Pakistan. Threats to the population of zig-zag eels includes habitat loss, pollution and overfishing. Heavy metal and metalloid pollutants in the rivers ''Mastacembelus armatus'' inhabits results in depletion of tissue
glutathione Glutathione (GSH, ) is an organic compound with the chemical formula . It is an antioxidant in plants, animals, fungi, and some bacteria and archaea. Glutathione is capable of preventing damage to important cellular components caused by sources ...
content, increase in liver peroxidation, and decreased
antioxidant Antioxidants are Chemical compound, compounds that inhibit Redox, oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce Radical (chemistry), free radicals. Autoxidation leads to degradation of organic compounds, including living matter. Antioxidants ...
enzyme activity. These three conditions are direct impacts of oxidative stress caused by chemical pollutants and raise concern for bioaccumulation of toxins. Consumption of fish exposed to these pollutants can have adverse health effects and efforts to reduce river pollution to benefit human health supports the health of this species as well.


In aquarium


Maintenance

''Mastacembelus armatus'' are bottom dwellers and
substrate Substrate may refer to: Physical layers *Substrate (biology), the natural environment in which an organism lives, or the surface or medium on which an organism grows or is attached ** Substrate (aquatic environment), the earthy material that exi ...
diggers The Diggers were a group of religious and political dissidents in England, associated with a political ideology and programme resembling what would later be called agrarian socialism.; ; ; Gerrard Winstanley and William Everard (Digger), Will ...
. Those that are long do well in tanks measuring with a capacity of 35 gallons (132 liters). However, larger ''M. armatus'' necessitate aquariums measuring at least with 55 gallons (209 liters) capacity. Zig-zag eels do well in
freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. The term excludes seawater and brackish water, but it does include non-salty mi ...
or slightly
brackish Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuari ...
aquatic environments (produced by adding two teaspoons of sea
salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...
(not iodized) per gallons of water) with 6 to 25 dH water
hardness In materials science, hardness (antonym: softness) is a measure of the resistance to plastic deformation, such as an indentation (over an area) or a scratch (linear), induced mechanically either by Pressing (metalworking), pressing or abrasion ...
, with pH readings ranging from 6 to 8, and temperatures that are maintained between . ''M. armatus'' tend to uproot plants and disturb decorations.


Compatibility

Although zig-zag eels are often combined with medium to large-sized
gourami Gouramis, or gouramies , are a group of fresh water, freshwater Anabantiformes, anabantiform fish that comprise the family (biology), family Osphronemidae. The fish are native to Asia—from the Indian Subcontinent to Southeast Asia and northeas ...
s, knifefish,
danios ''Danio'' is a genus of small freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae found in South and Southeast Asia, commonly kept in aquaria. They are generally characterised by a pattern of horizontal stripes, rows of spots or vertical bars. Some species ...
,
loach Loaches are ray-finned fishes of the suborder Cobitoidei. They are freshwater, benthic (bottom-dwelling) fish found in rivers and creeks throughout Eurasia and North Africa, northern Africa. Loaches are among the most diverse groups of fish; the ...
es,
Loricariids Loricariidae is the largest family of catfish (order Siluriformes), with over 90 genera and just over 680 species. Loricariids originate from freshwater habitats of Costa Rica, Panama, and tropical and subtropical South America. These fish are no ...
,
eartheater Geophagini is a tribe of cichlids from the subfamily Cichlinae, the American cichlids. It is the sister taxon to the clade which includes the Cichlasomatini and Heroini. Fishes in the Geophagini are distributed from Panama south to Argentina, it ...
s, acaras, Cichlasomines and Asian
catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...
es in a community fish aquarium, they are not normally mixed with small-sized fish, because tire track eels are observed to prey upon smaller fish. Mixing them with fish belonging to the same species is also not recommended. This is because they are aggressive to members of the same fish family but peaceful to other fish species with similar care level requirements, size, and temperament.Tire Track Eel (Mastacembelus armatus), Aqua-Fish.net, 2007
retrieved on: 5 June 2007.


References

---- {{Taxonbar, from=Q2045293
Zig-zag eel The zig-zag eel (''Mastacembelus armatus'' Scopoli, 1777'), also known as the Baim, tire-track, tire-track spiny-eel, freshwater spiny eel, or marbled spiny eel, is a species of freshwater Actinopterygii, ray-finned fish in the Family (biology), ...
Freshwater fish of South Asia Freshwater fish of Southeast Asia tire track eel Taxa named by Bernard Germain de Lacépède