Tire Track Eel - Mastacembelus favus - Medium

The Tire Track Eel (Mastacembelus favus) has an elongated body and a pointed snout. Its body is mainly tan to brown and is covered with dark brown interconnected winding lines. Though these fish can grow to be over 28 inches in length, they rarely exceed 20 inches in the home aquarium. Some confusion surrounds the scientific names of the spiny eels, and the Tire Track Eel is very often referred to as Mastacembelus armatus in addition to its more widely accepted name, M. favus.

Freshwater eels are generally bottom dwellers that will often bury in the substrate or hide in crevices and caves. They feed on worms, insect larvae, crustaceans, fish, and sometimes plant matter. Provide small grain, smooth gravel or sand so that the fish can burrow safely, as well as tubes or rock crevices for hiding places. These fish are peaceful when kept with large tankmates, but will often consume small fish.

These eels feed primarily on insect larvae, worms, and occasionally, plant material in their natural habitat. In the aquarium, they can be fed most sinking pellets and other meaty foods. When they grow larger, they will eat small fish, so be sure that any fish kept with the eel are too large to swallow.

Freshwater eels do have an escape risk; keep a tightly-fitting lid on the tank to keep the eels in the aquarium. Most species are nocturnal and will hide for most of the day, becoming more active at night.