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The fire eel's base coloring is dark brown/grey, while the belly is generally a lighter shade of the same color. Several bright red lateral stripes and spots mark the body and vary in intensity depending on the age and condition of the individual. Usually, the markings are yellow/amber in juvenile fish, changing to a deep red in larger ones.
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).
These fish have an eel-like body. The largest species can reach a maximum length of 1 m (3.3 ft). [3] Very characteristic of this group is the long nose appendage with two tubulated nostrils. [3] Mastacembelids have a series of well-separated dorsal spines on their back, hence the name of their family, spiny eels. [3]
Although its shape resembles an eel due to its slender and leg-less body, the monkeyface prickleback does not belong to the order Anguilliformes, which includes true eels, instead, it is classified under either the Perciformes, [1] along with nearly half of all bony fish, or the Scorpaeniformes, [2] according to different authorities.
This eel has remained fairly popular as an aquarium fish for years, owing to its unique appearance and behaviors. Additionally, like other species of eels throughout the world, the zig-zag eel serves as a viable protein and food source for humans, aquatic reptiles, birds and other, larger fishes throughout much of its range.
A color morph of the eel, frequently called the "Banana Eel", [5] is mostly yellow with large spots instead of many small spots. Distribution and habitat [ edit ]
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All species in this genus were formerly classified in Monopterus, but a 2020 study found them to represent a distinct monophyletic clade from Monopterus.Due to this, the genus name Ophichthys, previously coined by William Swainson, was revived to be used for them.