Mastacembelus ellipsifer

(Boulenger, 1899)

Vernacular names
English : Tanganyikan saddleback eel
French : Anguille épineuse du Tanganyika

Classification
Class : Teleostei
Order : Synbranchiformes
Family : Mastacembelidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Adults can reach up to 45 cm in length. Cylindrical and elongated body with long triangle-shaped head. It’s coloration goes from dark dull yellow to beige with brown saddle-like markings on back and flanks (edges of each markings are darker).

Range and habitat
The species is endemic to Lake Tanganyika, in Burundi, DR Congo, Tanzania and Zambia. Lives in coastal waters, over sandy and rocky bottoms, down to 50 meters.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species currently faces no known threats but remains fairly rare throughout its range. It is known to be vulnerable to water pollution.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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