Macrognathus aculeatus
No common name
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Synbranchiformes (Swamp Eels)
Mastacembelidae (Spiny Eels)
Macrognathus
Macrognathus aculeatus
Description
This species account was compiled from
FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.)
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Characters
Body shape: eel-like. Body with series of obliquely oriented bars (Ref. 39392). Dorsal and anal fins with a row of isolated spines followed by a long continuous soft portion, both fins extending to but not confluent with caudal fin. Pelvic fins absent. Caudal fin rounded (Ref. 4792). Striking features: none.
Distribution
Asia: Thailand, Malay Peninsula, Borneo and Indonesia. Reported from Bangladesh (Ref. 1479) and Nepal (Ref. 9496); India (Ref. 43634); Viet Nam (Ref. 89724).
Habitat Associations
Freshwater, brackish. benthopelagic. Found in: streams.
Biology
Adults occur in medium to large-sized rivers (Ref. 12975). Found in lowland wetlands and peats. Uncommonly seen in aquarium trades (Ref. 57235).
Max length: 38.0 cm TL.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none. Produces a minimum of 1000 eggs (Ref. 1672).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2019-12-11. Resilience: Medium (Fec>1000).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial.
References
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Riehl, R. and H.A. Baensch (1991) Aquarien Atlas. Band. 1. Melle: Mergus, Verlag für Natur-und Heimtierkunde, Germany. 992 p.
Smith, H.M. (1945) The fresh-water fishes of Siam, or Thailand. Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus. 188:633 p. DOI: 10.5479/si.03629236.188.1
Roberts, T.R. (1989) The freshwater fishes of Western Borneo (Kalimantan Barat, Indonesia). Mem. Calif. Acad. Sci. 14:210 p.
Taki, Y. (1974) Fishes of the Lao Mekong Basin. United States Agency for International Development Mission to Laos Agriculture Division. 232 p.
Pantulu, V.R. (1986) Fish of the lower Mekong basin. p. 721-741. In B.R. Davies and K.F. Walker (eds.) The ecology of river systems. Dr. W. Junk Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
Roberts, T.R. (1986) Systematic review of the Mastacembelidae or spiny eels of Burma and Thailand, with description of two new species of Macrognathus. Jap. J. Ichthyol. 33(2):95-109.
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