Malawi spinyeel

The Malawi spinyeel (Mastacembelus shiranus) is a species of fish in the family Mastacembelidae from Africa. It is endemic to the Lake Malawi basin, including the main lake itself, Lake Malombe and the lower Shire River.^[3][1] It is the only described species of spinyeel in Lake Malawi, but a brightly marked variant, Mastacembelus sp. "Rosette" is also known. It is unclear if it is a variant of the Malawi spinyeel or an undescribed species.^[1][2] The Malawi spinyeel reaches about 30 cm (12 in) in length, and likely feeds on invertebrates and small fish.^[1]

Malawi spinyeel
The "Rosette" type, possibly a variant of A. shiranus or an undescribed species[1][2]
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[3]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Synbranchiformes
Family:	Mastacembelidae
Genus:	Mastacembelus
Species:	M. shiranus
Binomial name
Mastacembelus shiranus Günther, 1896
Synonyms[4]
Aethiomastacembelus shiranus (Günther, 1896) Afromastacembelus shiranus (Günther, 1896)