Fire eel


The fire eel is a relatively large species of spiny eel. This omnivorous freshwater fish is native to in Southeast Asia but also found in the aquarium trade. Although it has declined locally because of this trade and overfishing for food, it remains common overall.

Description

The fire eel is not a true eel, but an extremely elongated fish with a distinctive pointed snout and underslung mouth. It is part of a group of fishes called spiny eels that also includes tire track and peacock eels. The group gets its common name from the many small dorsal spines that precede the dorsal fin.
The body is laterally compressed, particularly the rear third, where it flattens as it joins the caudal fin and forms an extended tail. 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. Often the anal, pectoral, and dorsal fins have a red edging.
The fire eel is the largest species in its family and can reach up to in length.

Range, habitat and behavior

Fire eels occur across a relatively broad area covering a large part of lowland Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, and Sumatra. They inhabit slow-moving rivers and flood plains, and are bottom-dwellers that typically are found in places with a muddy bottom. They spend large portions of their time buried in the riverbed, often leaving only their snout visible.
The fire eel feeds on invertebrates, smaller fish, plant matter, and detritus. In captivity, they only rarely eat plant matter.