Guaranteed Secured Checkout
The Peacock Eel Macrognathus siamensis is a very handsome spiny eell and is certainly of the the staff favourites here at Melbourne Tropical Fish. There can be some variation in its color and patterning, depending on where it originates from. But basically they are light brown in color with a thin pale yellow stripe running from the eye to the base of the tail.
You can readily see where the name ‘Peacock’ Eel comes from. They will generally have between three to six decorative ‘eye spots’ adorning the upper rear portion of the body along the base of the dorsal fin. Other common names they are known by are Spot-Finned Spiny Eel, Peacock Spiny Eel, Striped Peacock Eel, and Siamese Spiny Eel.
Make sure you have a tight fitting cover as these guys are escape artists Peacock Spiny Eel is very hardy and uncommon. It makes a great starter fish for first time spiny eel keepers. It is generally a willing feeder and readily adapts to aquarium life. It is also relatively small, with its maximum adult size being just under a foot long. As it is nocturnal you may not always see it though. It will usually hide during the daytime by burying itself in the substrate.
Peacock Eels are peaceful fish that can be kept in a community tank with larger fish. As you can see from the photo above where this adult specimen is housed with a Jack Dempsey cichlid, they are great with a variety of tank mates. Unlike many of the spiny eels, this species will also get along well with others of its own kind as long as they are of a similar size.
Species – Macrognatheus siamensis
Common Name – Spiny Eel, Peacock Eel
Origin – South-east Asia
Diet – Carnivore
PH Range – Neutral 6.5 – 7.5
Temperature – Tropical 22°c – 26°c
Max Size – approximately 20cm
Sex – Un-sexed