Taxonomy
A characteristic feature of spiny eels is their long snouts or trunks which are highly sensitive and are used to probe around for insects and worms. © Ralf Britz
Macrognathus pavo is a member of the spiny eels family Mastacembelidae
Characteristic features
As their name suggests spiny eels have
- elongate, eel-like body
- long dorsal fins along their backs
- 4 - 42 strong sharp spines on dorsal fins
- when caught, these fishes can wriggle backwards driving the spines into their attacker.
- long snouts or trunks
- highly sensitive
- used to probe around for insects and worms
Macrognathus pavo is the least spiny of the spiny eels with 4 to 6 dorsal spines only. Most spiny eel species have many more dorsal spines, up to 42.
Macrognathus pavo belongs to a group of eleven closely related species, the Macrognathus aculeatus group.
Macrognathus pavo differs from the other members of the group in
- its colour pattern
- smaller number of rostral tooth plates on the underside of the trunk.
- these tooth plates probably help the fish to grab their prey
Name
- Species name
- Comes from the Latin word “pavo”, peafowl, referring to the numerous black spots found on the species.
Reference
Britz, R., 2010.Species of the Macrognathus aculeatus group in Myanmar with remarks on M. caudiocellatus (Teleostei:Synbranchiformes: Mastacembelidae). Ichthyol. Explor.Freshwater 20: 295-308.
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Diagnostic description
Find a more in-depth description of the appearance of Macrognathus pavo, including how it differs from other Asian mastacembelids and species of M. aculeatus.