Spot Finned Spiny Eel
The Peacock Eel has a long, thin, cylindrical body without scales. They grow to an average length of 30-40 cm (12-16 inches). Although the Peacock Eel lacks pectoral or pelvic fins, it does have small primitive dorsal fins towards its tail and tiny finlets on its head.
The Peacock Eel has a mouth with fused, brush-like teeth which are used to rasp soft invertebrates off the rocks. They are widespread throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They can be found from eastern Africa to northern Australia, the Philippines, and south Japan.
The Peacock Eel is commonly found in sheltered reefs and lagoons down to a depth of many hundreds of feet. They prefer coral and rocky habitats and also avoid surf zones or areas with a strong current. They are nocturnal creatures that can be found in crevices and caves during the day, but at night they come out to feed on worms and crustaceans.
The Peacock Eel is generally a shy fish that requires a lot of hiding places in the aquarium. The tank should have many rocks, along with plants to produce a suitable hiding place. They mustn't be kept with very active or aggressive fish which can nip at their soft, fleshy fins. The Peacock Eel will also burrow into sand and gravel if threatened by an aggressor fish.
They require a lot of swimming space and it is best to provide them with an aquarium of at least 100 gallons (400 liters). The tank should be decorated in a way that they have plenty of shaded areas, as well as open swimming space.
A Peacock Eel's natural diet consists mainly of marine worms and crustaceans. They can sometimes go after blennies, small gobies, and other similarly sized fish in the tank. Although worms are their main diet item, they should also be fed a variety of other frozen foods such as krill, squid, clams, mussels, scallop meat, or shrimp.
They should not be kept with very active or aggressive feeders that might harass the eel or eat the food before it can get to it. The Peacock Eel requires a lot of rasping in order to feed, so if not kept with suitably sized tankmates, you must feed them in a separate container. This is because they have tiny mouths and will only be able to eat very small pieces that would not be enough to sustain them if they were in a community tank with larger fish.
If you wish to keep this eel in a reef aquarium, it is necessary to have a very large reef aquarium due to its size and extremely particular food requirements. The Peacock Eel will eat crustaceans and sea urchins in the reef aquarium. They will also eat amphipods and copepods in the reef aquarium, so you must supplement their diet with these foods if they don't pick at them naturally.
The Peacock Eel is a difficult fish to feed and can be quite fussy. Many people have trouble keeping this fish healthy and often say that it refuses to eat anything other than live brine shrimp. However, they are not impossible to feed and will accept most frozen foods if you are patient with them. But the foods must be rasped off of a rock or canister filter intake, as these fish have very small mouths and cannot eat flaked food or freeze-dried foods.
The Peacock Eel can reach up to 30 cm (12 inches) in length so it requires a very large aquarium of at least 100 gallons (400 liters), as well as being kept with other passive fish that will not be nipped by this eel. They have been known to nip the fins of fish that are too active or nip at their food. The Peacock Eel is considered to be one of the most beautiful aquarium fish, but it can be very hard to maintain.
Global spot finned spiny eel production
The global production of spot-finned spiny eels has increased in recent years, reaching a record high in 2013. This is due to a combination of factors, including improved fishing techniques and an increase in the demand for this delicacy in Asia.
While the vast majority of spot-finned spiny eels are caught in Asian waters, the species is also found in Africa and the Americas. In 2013, the top three countries for spot-finned spiny eel production were China, Taiwan, and Indonesia.
The increased demand for spot-finned spiny eels has led to higher prices for fish. In some cases, a single fish can sell for over $100. This has resulted in a boom in the fishing industry, with many fishermen now specializing in catching this lucrative species.
With the global demand for spot-finned spiny eels expected to continue to grow, it is likely that production will increase in the coming years. This will provide a valuable source of income for many communities that rely on fishing for their livelihoods.