Macrognathus pancalus

{{Short description|Species of fish}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Indischer Zwergtachelaal.jpg

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Vishwanath, W. |date=2010 |title=Macrognathus pancalus |volume=2010 |page=e.T166542A6232710 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T166542A6232710.en |access-date=20 November 2021}}

| taxon = Macrognathus pancalus

| authority = (F. Hamilton, 1822)

| synonyms = *Mastacembelus pancalus (Hamilton, 1822)

• Mastacembelus punctatus Cuvier, 1832

| synonyms_ref =

}}

Macrognathus pancalus, the barred spiny eel or Indian spiny eel, or পাঁকাল in bengali is a small freshwater fish in southern Asia. It usually is found in slow and shallow rivers. Males are more slender and often smaller than the females.{{Fishbase|Macrognathus|pamcalus|month=August|year=2019}}