Common names:
Longtail spiny eel, East African Spiny Eel
None

Taxonomic tree
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: ctinopterygii (ray-finned fish)
Order: Synbranchiformes (Spiny eels)
Family: Mastacembelidae (Spiny eels)
Genus: Mastacembelus
Species: Mastacembelus frenatus (Boulenger, 1901)
Number of Occurrancies: 59

Etymology (based on Sharpf & Lazara, 2020)

• Mastacembelus: etymology unknown, perhaps mastax, mouth or jaw and embolus, peg or wedge or belos, arrow or spear, possibly referring to sharp or pointed jaws of equal length (“maxillis subacutis aequalibus”) [non-Linnaean name coined by Gronow in 1763 and made available as a genus with no included species by Scopoli; name treated as a specific epithet by Banks & Solandar in 1794 (see M. mastacembelus), which later created a seemingly unintentional tautonym when their species was placed in Mastacembelus]


• frenatus:  bridled, referring to dark streak on each side of head, passing through eye

Synonyms: click here to view synonyms

Type locality: Northern end of Lake Tanganyika, Burundi. Holotype at British Museum of Natural History (BMNH) 

General identification features for family Mastacembelidae

• Elongate and eel-like body, covered with minute cycloid scales


• Anterior nostrils in the form of short tentacle


• Snout produced as a fleshy appendage; Mouth not protractile


• Dorsal and anal fins long, confluent with the caudal fin; pelvic fin being absent


• Anterior dorsal fin consisting of 32-34 separate spines

Distinguishing characters for the genus and species: The family Mastacembelidae is only represented by one genus in Uganda, Mastacembelus, and one species, M. frenatus; the features given above suffice to identify the genus. Color is variable: typical ground color is brown; with numerous white spots on the body, becoming reticulations ventrally. Dorsal and anal fin marbled or reticulate. Head with numerous white, wavy lines. The brown color varies from dark chocolate (almost black in some cases) to a bright, orange-brown

Distribution in Uganda: Lakes Victoria, Kyoga, Nabugabo, Victoria Nile and Aswa River. 

Occurence: Native

Habitat: Demersal; common in vegetated fringes of lakes, marginal swamps and temporary streams. In rivers, it is common among stones froming the river-bed. 

Feeding: Insectivore, feeding on insect larvae and, to a less degree, other bottom living inverterbrates

Biology: No information exists on reproductive biology and life history for Ugandan population. The species can grow to a maximum size is 33 cm TL.  

Economic importance/End use: The species is not common in catches 

IUCN conservation status: click here to view IUCN status

Threats: Unknown

Main references

• Greenwood PH. 1966. The fishes of Uganda. The Uganda Society, Kampala. 131 pages.


• Sharpf C, Lazara J.K. 2020. Fish Name Etymology Database v3. www.etyfish.org