The lesser spiny eel, Macrognathus aculeatus, is a Southeast Asian tropical freshwater fish belonging to the family Mastacembelidae.

The eel has an upper-body that is yellow, a black line down the middle and the lower-body is usually a mix of white and brown.

Along the backbone of the eel, the dorsal fin is preceded by numerous isolated small spines that can be raised, giving them the name.

They can grow up to be 14 inches long (35 centimeters), but are usually smaller.

This fish is found in Southeast Asia from locations such as Malaysia, Thailand, Borneo, and Indonesia.