Fire eel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fire eel |
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The fire eel (Mastacembelus erythrotaenia) is a really cool and quite large type of spiny eel. Even though it's called an "eel," it's actually a fish! This fish that eats both plants and animals lives in fresh water in Southeast Asia. You can also find it in fish tanks because it's so popular. Sadly, its numbers have gone down in some places, like parts of Cambodia and Thailand, because too many are caught. But overall, there are still lots of them.
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Meet the Fire Eel!
The fire eel is not a true eel. Instead, it is a very long, thin fish. It has a special pointed snout and a mouth that opens underneath its head. It belongs to the spiny eel family, called Mastacembelidae. These fish get their name from the many small spines along their back. These spines are just in front of their main back fin.
What Does a Fire Eel Look Like?
The fire eel's body is flat on the sides. This is especially true near its tail. The tail flattens out as it connects to the tail fin. The main color of a fire eel is dark brown or grey. Its belly is usually a lighter shade of the same color.
What makes them special are their bright red stripes and spots. These markings run along their body. How bright they are depends on how old the fish is and how healthy it is. Young fire eels usually have yellow or amber markings. As they grow bigger, these markings turn a deep red. Often, the bottom fin, side fins, and dorsal fins have red edges too.
How Big Do Fire Eels Get?
The fire eel is the biggest species in its family. It can grow up to 1 m (3.3 ft) long. That's about 3 feet, or the height of a small kid!
Where Do Fire Eels Live?
Fire eels live in a large area of lowland Southeast Asia. This includes central and southern Thailand, Cambodia, and southern Vietnam. They also live in Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo (Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia), and Sumatra (Indonesia).
Fire Eel Habitat and Behavior
These fish like slow-moving rivers and floodplains. They live at the bottom of the water. You will usually find them in places with a muddy bottom. Fire eels spend a lot of time buried in the riverbed. Often, only their snout is sticking out!
What Do Fire Eels Eat?
The fire eel eats many different things. It feeds on small creatures without backbones. These include insect larvae, worms, and crustaceans. They also eat smaller fish, some plant matter, and decaying bits of plants and animals. If they are kept in an aquarium, they rarely eat plants.
