Matacembelus armatus - the Tyre-track Eel
First published in the Christmas 1991 issue of the TTAA Newsletter

HABITAT: 
South-East Asia. Southern China, Thailand, Sumatra, India and Sri-Lanka.
COLOURATION: 
The base colour is dark chocolate-brown with light creamy beige spots and blotches arranged in the pattern that gives this fish its name. The Tyre-Track eel is a member of the Spiny eel family but should not be mistaken for one of the small family members which are often kept in community tanks as this eel is capable of growing up to 40 inches long. They are mainly nocturnal but thanks to their prodigious appetite they are easily tempted out to feed. They do like to burrow but I have found that if sufficient hiding places are provided they usually won’t bother. Fine gravel or sand should be used in the tank because of their burrowing habits as they are prone to skin infections and funguses if damaged. Common opinion says that they should be kept in a tank on their own due to their being aggressive but I have found them to be peaceful although I wouldn’t keep one with a fish it could get in its mouth. This fish benefits from the addition of salt to the water, about one teaspoon per gallon of water is okay. The water temperature should be around 72-82 F, and the acidity between pH 7.0 and pH 8.
FEEDING:
This fish is a glutton and will eat almost any meaty fresh or frozen food such as prawns, cockles, mussels, bloodworm, earthworm and tubifex. However it is very difficult to get it to eat dried foods unless it is very hungry.
BREEDING:
As with most of its relatives there have been no successful spawnings in aquaria.