Mastacembelus ellipsifer is a species of spiny eel that is endemic to Lake Tanganyika in Africa and sometimes kept in aquariums.

The eel is endemic to Lake Tanganyika and can commonly be found along shores.

[3] M. ellipsifer prefers coastal waters with a sandy, rock, or a muddy bottom.

[2] M. ellipsifer eats small fish in the wild, and is a nocturnal species.

[2] It was one of the species that was photographed as part of a FishBase mission that had the primary objective to document and photograph the rich fish diversity of Lake Tanganyika with the help of ichthyologist Dr. Tyson R.