Peacock spiny eel

Care at a glance

The peacock spiny eel is a slender, eel-shaped fish that prefers to stay buried deep in the sand or among roots during the day, only coming out around dusk. Its name refers to the dark, eye-like spots along its flank.

Provide a fine, rounded sand substrate without sharp edges, since it burrows into it daily; gravel can damage its sensitive belly. Live or frozen food such as bloodworms is accepted far more readily than dry food, and with some patience it can also learn to eat from tweezers.

Good to know

• Active at night
• Digger — needs fine sand
• Hard to wean onto dry food
• Known jumper — cover the tank

Related species

• Red phantom tetraHyphessobrycon sweglesi
• Tinfoil barbBarbonymus schwanenfeldii
• Colombian tetraHyphessobrycon columbianus
• Silver hatchetfishGasteropelecus sternicla
• Blue gularis killifishFundulopanchax sjoestedti
• Thick-lipped gouramiTrichogaster labiosa