Fishes
251
ORDER: SYNBRANCHIFORMES (SWAMP EELS)
FaMiLy: MaStaCeMBeLidae (SPiny eeLS)
Macrognathus pancalus Hamilton 1822
(= Mastacembelus punctatus)
Order: Synbranchiformes
Family: Mastacembelidae
Common name: Striped spiny eel,
barred spiny eel, zigzag eel, yellow fin
spiny eel, Indian spiny eel.
Distribution: Asia: Pakistan, India,
and Bangladesh; reported from Nepal
(Torres, 1991g).
Habitat: Slow and shallow waters of
rivers of plains and estuaries; canals,
streams, beels, ponds, and inundated
fields.
Description: Males of this species are
more slender and often smaller than
the females. The terminal rim of the
anterior nasal tube consists of six flaps
of skin. The overall darkness of the
fish and the actual amount of yellow
in the coloration is variable (Fishbase,
2005). It is a carnivore feeding on
live foods such as earthworms, black
worms, krill, and plankton. It grows
to a maximum size of only 18 cm
(Britz, 1996).
Nutritional Facts
Proximate Composition (% WW)
Moisture
Ash
Protein
Lipid
76.09
1.62
18.03
4.25
Source: Data from Ahmed et al. (2012).
Proximate Composition (% DM)
Moisture CHO a Protein Fat
Ash
2.94
21.11 18.25 14.30 1.20
a Carbohydrate.
Amino Acids (% DM)
Methionine
Tryptophan
1.22
1.02
Source: Data from Ali et al. (2013).
Mastacembelus mastacembelus Banks & Solander 1794
Order: Synbranchiformes
Family: Mastacembelidae
Common name: Mesopotamian spiny
eel.