Mastacembelus is a genus of many species of spiny eel fish from the family Mastacembelidae. They are native to Africa (c. 45 species) and Asia (c. 15 species).[4] Most are found in rivers and associated systems (even in rapids[5]), but there are also species in other freshwater habitats and a particularly rich radiation is found in the Lake Tanganyika basin with 15 species (14 endemic).[6][7] A few species can even occur in brackish water.[8]
Several Mastacembelus armatus caught in the Tlawng river in India. This species is sometimes kept in aquariums, but also considered a good food fish and eaten in its native range[8]
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 7–8 cm (2.8–3.1 in).[4][5] At up to 1 m (3.3 ft), the largest of both the family and this genus is M. erythrotaenia.[4][9]M. erythrotaenia, often known as the fire eel, is blackish with an orange-red pattern, and it is a popular aquarium fish.[9] 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 eelM. armatus (alternatively called the tire track eel, a name otherwise used for M. favus). A few others also occasionally appear in the aquarium trade,[9] and some are considered good food fish and eaten locally.[8]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 (non-pigmented), similar to cavefish.[5]
Taxonomy
In an evaluation of the Mastacembelidae in 2005, the genera Caecomastacembelus and Aethiomastacembelus (formerly used for the African species) were placed in synonymy with Mastacembelus.[2]
According to FishBase, there are currently 61 recognized species in this genus.[4] 4 additional species (marked with a star* in the list) are recognized by Catalog of Fishes.[11]
^ abcVreven, E. J. (2005). "Mastacembelidae (Teleostei; Synbranchiformes) subfamily division and African generic division: an evaluation". Journal of Natural History. 39 (4): 351–370. doi:10.1080/0022293042000195975. S2CID 85280659.
^research.calacademy.org . Archived from the original on 2012-04-02. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
^ abcdFroese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2018). Species of Mastacembelus in FishBase. April 2018 version.
^ abcBrown; Rüber; Bills; Day (2010). "Mastacembelid eels support Lake Tanganyika as an evolutionary hotspot of diversification". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 10: 188. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-10-188. PMC2903574. PMID 20565906.
^ abcBrown; Britz; Bills; Rüber; Day (2011). "Pectoral fin loss in the Mastacembelidae: a new species from Lake Tanganyika". Journal of Zoology. 284 (4): 286–293. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2011.00804.x.
^ abcdRayamajhi, A.; Jha, B.R.; Sharma, C.M. (2012). "Mastacembelus armatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T166586A6241626. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T166586A6241626.en.|date= / |doi= mismatch
^Schliewen, U. (1992). Aquarium Fish. Barron's Educational Series. ISBN978-0812013504.
^ abcdEschmeyer, W.N.; R. Fricke; R. van der Laan (14 May 2018). "Catalog of Fishes". California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
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January 06, 2023
mastacembelus, genus, many, species, spiny, fish, from, family, mastacembelidae, they, native, africa, species, asia, species, most, found, rivers, associated, systems, even, rapids, there, also, species, other, freshwater, habitats, particularly, rich, radiat. Mastacembelus is a genus of many species of spiny eel fish from the family Mastacembelidae They are native to Africa c 45 species and Asia c 15 species 4 Most are found in rivers and associated systems even in rapids 5 but there are also species in other freshwater habitats and a particularly rich radiation is found in the Lake Tanganyika basin with 15 species 14 endemic 6 7 A few species can even occur in brackish water 8 MastacembelusMastacembelus mooriiScientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass ActinopterygiiOrder SynbranchiformesFamily MastacembelidaeGenus MastacembelusScopoli 1777Type speciesOphidium mastacembelusJ Banks amp Solander 1794 1 SpeciesSee textSynonymsCaecomastacembelus 2 Aethiomastacembelus 2 Afromastacembelus 3 Contents 1 Appearance 2 Taxonomy 3 Species 4 ReferencesAppearance Edit Several Mastacembelus armatus caught in the Tlawng river in India This species is sometimes kept in aquariums but also considered a good food fish and eaten in its native range 8 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 7 8 cm 2 8 3 1 in 4 5 At up to 1 m 3 3 ft the largest of both the family and this genus is M erythrotaenia 4 9 M erythrotaenia often known as the fire eel is blackish with an orange red pattern and it is a popular aquarium fish 9 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 alternatively called the tire track eel a name otherwise used for M favus A few others also occasionally appear in the aquarium trade 9 and some are considered good food fish and eaten locally 8 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 non pigmented similar to cavefish 5 Taxonomy EditIn an evaluation of the Mastacembelidae in 2005 the genera Caecomastacembelus and Aethiomastacembelus formerly used for the African species were placed in synonymy with Mastacembelus 2 Species Edit Mastacembelus armatus is a widespread Asian species found in both fresh and brackish water but as currently defined it is likely a species complex 8 Mastacembelus erythrotaenia is a relatively large brightly marked Asian species that is highly prized in the aquarium trade 10 Mastacembelus ellipsifer one of the many species found only in Lake Tanganyika 6 7 Mastacembelus flavidus another species found only in Lake Tanganyika 6 7 According to FishBase there are currently 61 recognized species in this genus 4 4 additional species marked with a star in the list are recognized by Catalog of Fishes 11 Mastacembelus alboguttatus Boulenger 1893 Mastacembelus albomaculatus Poll 1953 Mastacembelus ansorgii Boulenger 1905 Mastacembelus apectoralis K J Brown Britz I R Bills Ruber amp J J Day 2011 Mastacembelus armatus Lacepede 1800 Zig zag eel Mastacembelus aviceps T R Roberts amp D J Stewart 1976 Mastacembelus batesii Boulenger 1911 Mastacembelus brachyrhinus Boulenger 1899 Mastacembelus brichardi Poll 1958 Blind spiny eel Mastacembelus catchpolei Fowler 1936 Mastacembelus congicus Boulenger 1896 Mastacembelus crassus T R Roberts amp D J Stewart 1976 Mastacembelus cryptacanthus Gunther 1867 Mastacembelus cunningtoni Boulenger 1906 Mastacembelus dayi Boulenger 1912 junior synonym of M alboguttatus according to Catalog of Fishes 11 Mastacembelus decorsei Pellegrin 1919 Mastacembelus dienbienensis V H Nguyễn amp H D Nguyễn 2005 belongs in genus Sinobdella according to Catalog of Fishes 11 Mastacembelus ellipsifer Boulenger 1899 Mastacembelus erythrotaenia Bleeker 1850 Fire eel Mastacembelus favus Hora 1924 Tire track eel Mastacembelus flavidus Matthes 1962 Mastacembelus flavomarginatus Boulenger 1898 Mastacembelus frenatus Boulenger 1901 Longtail spiny eel Mastacembelus goro Boulenger 1902 Mastacembelus greshoffi Boulenger 1901 Mastacembelus kakrimensis Vreven amp Teugels 2005 Mastacembelus latens T R Roberts amp D J Stewart 1976 Mastacembelus liberiensis Boulenger 1898 Mastacembelus loennbergii Boulenger 1898 Mastacembelus malabaricus Jerdon 1849 Mastacembelus marchei Sauvage 1879 Mastacembelus mastacembelus J Banks amp Solander 1794 Mastacembelus micropectus Matthes 1962 Mastacembelus moorii Boulenger 1898 Mastacembelus niger Sauvage 1879 Mastacembelus nigromarginatus Boulenger 1898 Mastacembelus notophthalmus T R Roberts 1989 Mastacembelus oatesii Boulenger 1893 Mastacembelus ophidium Gunther 1894 Mastacembelus pantherinus Britz 2007 Mastacembelus paucispinis Boulenger 1899 Mastacembelus plagiostomus Matthes 1962 Mastacembelus platysoma Poll amp Matthes 1962 Mastacembelus polli Vreven 2005 Mastacembelus praensis Travers 1992 Mastacembelus reygeli Vreven amp Snoeks 2009 Mastacembelus robertsi Vreven amp Teugels 1996 Mastacembelus sanagali Thys van den Audenaerde 1972 Mastacembelus seiteri Thys van den Audenaerde 1972 Mastacembelus sexdecimspinus T R Roberts amp Travers 1986 Mastacembelus shiloangoensis Vreven 2004 Mastacembelus shiranus Gunther 1896 Malawi spiny eel Mastacembelus simbi Vreven amp Stiassny 2009 Mastacembelus strigiventus W Zhou amp L P Yang 2011 Mastacembelus taiaensis Travers 1992 Mastacembelus tanganicae Gunther 1894 Mastacembelus thacbaensis V H Nguyễn amp H D Nguyễn 2005 junior synonym of M undulatus according to Catalog of Fishes 11 Mastacembelus tinwini Britz 2007 Mastacembelus traversi Vreven amp Teugels 1997 Mastacembelus triolobus W Zhou amp L P Yang 2011 Mastacembelus trispinosus Steindachner 1911 Mastacembelus undulatus McClelland 1844 Mastacembelus unicolor G Cuvier 1832 Mastacembelus vanderwaali P H Skelton 1976 Ocellated spiny eel Mastacembelus zebratus Matthes 1962References Edit Eschmeyer William N Fricke Ron amp van der Laan Richard eds Mastacembelus Catalog of Fishes California Academy of Sciences Retrieved 13 November 2019 a b c Vreven E J 2005 Mastacembelidae Teleostei Synbranchiformes subfamily division and African generic division an evaluation Journal of Natural History 39 4 351 370 doi 10 1080 0022293042000195975 S2CID 85280659 research calacademy org https web archive org web 20120402153448 http research calacademy org redirect url http 3A 2F 2Fresearcharchive calacademy org 2Fresearch 2Fichthyology 2Fcatalog 2Ffishcatget asp amp genid 7163 Archived from the original on 2012 04 02 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a Missing or empty title help a b c d Froese Rainer and Pauly Daniel eds 2018 Species of Mastacembelus in FishBase April 2018 version a b c Elizabeth Alter S Brown B Stiassny M L J 2015 Molecular phylogenetics reveals convergent evolution in lower Congo River spiny eels BMC Evolutionary Biology 15 1 224 doi 10 1186 s12862 015 0507 x PMC 4608218 PMID 26472465 a b c Brown Ruber Bills Day 2010 Mastacembelid eels support Lake Tanganyika as an evolutionary hotspot of diversification BMC Evolutionary Biology 10 188 doi 10 1186 1471 2148 10 188 PMC 2903574 PMID 20565906 a b c Brown Britz Bills Ruber Day 2011 Pectoral fin loss in the Mastacembelidae a new species from Lake Tanganyika Journal of Zoology 284 4 286 293 doi 10 1111 j 1469 7998 2011 00804 x a b c d Rayamajhi A Jha B R Sharma C M 2012 Mastacembelus armatus IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010 e T166586A6241626 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2010 4 RLTS T166586A6241626 en date doi mismatch a b c Mastacembelus erythrotaenia Fire Eel Seriously Fish Retrieved 14 May 2018 Schliewen U 1992 Aquarium Fish Barron s Educational Series ISBN 978 0812013504 a b c d Eschmeyer W N R Fricke R van der Laan 14 May 2018 Catalog of Fishes California Academy of Sciences Retrieved 14 May 2018 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mastacembelus Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mastacembelus amp oldid 1095139409, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
