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Spaghetti Eels (Moringua spp.)
Spaghetti eels are closely related to moray eels anmd strongly resemble them in terms of overall shape, but tend to be thinner and equipped with more delicate jaws. They are predominantly marine fish and are found throughout the Indo-Pacific region in a variety of coastal marine habitats. However, a few species may be found in estuaries and rivers, and are consequently of interest to brackish water fishkeepers.
Spaghetti eels are non-territorial, and in fact rather gregarious, so aquarists should try to keep them in groups of three or more specimens. They like to dig, and are best kept in tanks with a sandy substrate. As with most eels, spaghetti eels prefer shady tanks with lots of hiding places, and in brightly lit tanks will rarely swim about during the day. In fact even in optimal conditions they will prefer to stay buried in the substrate most of the time.
Spaghetti eels are predators, but they take very small prey, primarily insects, worms and other small invertebrates. So while they may consume livebearer fry, they can otherwise be considered good community fish. Indeed, the main thing is to avoid mixing them with anything so large or aggresive the spaghetti eels would be at risk of being nipped. Their diet should be based primarily on live or wet-frozen foods such as bloodworms, mosquito larvae and tubifex.
The species most often traded is Moringua raitaborua, the purple spaghetti eel. It gets to a maxium length of around 40 cm and varies in colour from pinkish-gold to purple. It is found in fresh, brackish, and saltwater environmental. It is an adaptable species that does very well at middling salinity levels, a specific gravity around 1.010 being ideal.