Spiny eel

The name spiny eel is used to describe members of two different families of fish: the freshwater Mastacembelidae of Asia and Africa, and the marine (and generally deep sea) Notacanthidae. Both are so-named because of their eel-like shape and sturdy fin spines. These two families are not related and that the Notacanthiformes belong to the Superorder Elopimorpha, of which members are characterized by having a leptocephalus larvae. The freshwater Mastacembelids do not share this characteristic and are popular specimens in the aquarium trade.

Mastacembelid Spiny eels originate from three places. The Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa.

In Africa alone there are 43 species known from two genera: Aethiomastacembelus, with 19 known species, and Afromastacembelus, with 24 known species. Spiny Eels from Sri Lanka, China, Southeast Asia and India are also from two genera: Macrognathus and Mastacembelus. The most commonly found Spiny eels in the Aquarium trade are the Macrognathus and Mastacembelus from Sri Lanka, China, Southeast Asia and India. These include such eels as the Peacock and Striped Peacock, the Tire Track and or White spotted eel, the Zig Zag, Fire, Siamese, and Zebra eels.

Eel

An eel is any fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (/æŋˌɡwɪlᵻˈfɔːrmiːz/), which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and about 800 species. Most eels are predators. The term "eel" (originally referring to the European eel) is also used for some other similarly shaped fish, such as electric eels and spiny eels, but these are not members of the Anguilliformes order.

Description

Eels are elongated fish, ranging in length from 5 cm (2.0 in) in the one-jawed eel (Monognathus ahlstromi) to 4 m (13 ft) in the slender giant moray. Adults range in weight from 30 g (1.1 oz) to well over 25 kg (55 lb). They possess no pelvic fins, and many species also lack pectoral fins. The dorsal and anal fins are fused with the caudal fin, forming a single ribbon running along much of the length of the animal. Eels swim by generating body waves which travel the length of their bodies. They can swim backwards by reversing the direction of the wave.

Most eels live in the shallow waters of the ocean and burrow into sand, mud, or amongst rocks. A majority of eel species are nocturnal, thus are rarely seen. Sometimes, they are seen living together in holes, or "eel pits". Some species of eels also live in deeper water on the continental shelves and over the slopes deep as 4,000 m (13,000 ft). Only members of the Anguilla regularly inhabit fresh water, but they, too, return to the sea to breed.

Eel (disambiguation)

An eel is a fish in the order of Anguilliformes.

Eel or eels may also refer to:

Aviation

Biology

Ray-finned fish

Amphibians

Culture

Places

Nicknames

Abbreviations

Cobra Troopers

The Cobra Troopers are the basic Cobra foot soldiers who serve as the backbone of the Cobra Organization. They are generally depicted as legions of uniformed soldiers, nearly all of them masked to appear anonymous, and widely diversified according to specialties and functions.

History

The Cobra Troopers were introduced in 1982, with the code name "The Enemy". These are the original "blueshirt" infantry soldiers equipped with conventional military gear (as opposed to the more hi-tech accouterments of the later Vipers). They were prominently featured on both the cartoon and comic series, and depicted as unintelligent and slightly cowardly.

Later, Cobra troopers consisted of communications troops, computer specialists, security, and soldiers. Some of the more prominent include:

Eels

The Cobra Eels are the underwater demolition specialists of the Cobra legions. They undergo a rigorous two-part training program, first in the shark and pirate infested waters of the Caribbean, and then in the frigid depths of the North Atlantic. Their training regimen includes marine engineering, explosive ordnance, underwater fighting techniques, and marine geology. Eels are responsible for manning and operating Cobra marine outposts disguised as off-shore drilling rigs, and for augmenting the crews of large Cobra naval vessels.