Animal-World > Marine - Saltwater Fish > Miscellaneous Saltwater Fish > Firefish

FirefishFire Dartfish

Family: Ptereleotridae

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Nemateleotris magnificaPhoto courtesy: Seth Weintraub

     Firefish or Fire Dartfish are a beautiful addition to almost any aquarium! They are a good community fish and are very comfortable in a reef setting. They do like a cave or to burrow in sandy substrate.

     These fish belong to the family Microdesmidae, or Wormfishes. Before 1986, the Firefish or Fire Dartfish were classified as blennies and gobies. The Wormfishes comprise 36 species of eel-like fishes that include the closely related Purple Firefish, Nemateleotris decora.

     Their elongated dorsal fin is used to signal other firefish as well as a "locking device" similar to the triggerfish.

For more Information on keeping marine fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Marine Aquarium

Maintenance difficulty:      The Firefish or Fire Dartfish is easy to keep. They will readily eat most anything you feed them.

Maintenance:      Feed all kinds of live, frozen, and flake foods. It is best to feed small amounts several times a day. Since they feed on planktonic animals in the wild, they will do well with small protein foods like brine shrimp. Make sure they have plenty of places to hide, i.e. rockwork or live rock.

Habitat: Natural geographic location:      Firefish or Fire Dartfish are found in the Indo-Pacific: East Africa to the Hawaiian, Marquesan and Pitcairn islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to New Caledonia and the Austral Islands; throughout Micronesia.

Social Behaviors:      This fish feeds in groups in the wild, they are found swimming into currents near reef heads feeding on planktonic animals. Several individuals may share the same hole (especially juveniles). Firefish have a habit of flicking their pennant-like first dorsal fin back and forth. They are a territorial fish with each fish requiring approximately 10-20 square centimeters (1.5-3.0 square inches) of vertical space. They will establish a heirarchy of dominance in the aquarium.

Sex: Sexual differences:      We have not found this information.

Light: Recommended light levels:      No special requirements.

Temperature:      No special requirements. Normal temperatures for marine fish is between 74 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit.

Length/Diameter of fish:      Firefish or Fire Dartfish adults can grow to 6.0 cm (2.4 inches).

Minimum Tank Length/Size:      A minimum 30 gallon aquarium is recommended.

Water Movement: Weak, Moderate, Strong      Weak to moderate water movement is appreciated.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom      No special requirements.

Availability:      This fish is readily available and is inexpensive, the Purple Firefish is somewhat rarer and slightly more expensive.

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Latest Comments
I have 2 firefish. I haven't seen one of them now for about 5 days, and the other one dissappeared today. Does anyone know how long these guys can survive if they burrow into the sand or into a hole in a rock? I'm a bit nervous because they are my favorite fish, and i hate it when fish die. Jeff Bridge 2008-11-15
I have a purple firefish that is so funny to watch! It spends a lot of time swimming in the powerhead current trying to catch particles of food that float by, or "bickering" with my yellowtail blue damsel. Nothing serious, just fun and games! Brian 2007-10-18
Don't forget about the deeper-water Helfrichi Firefish; even rarer and much more expensive. 'Ric 2007-08-15
He is very fast and cool. He unfortunately died while he was with many other fish :( Robert 2007-03-22
I have a pair of gobies who are now breeding. Like most dartfish the females are duller in color and the males colors are more intense especially when breeding, and they have longer doral and ventral fins. camille 2006-10-29
Some of the coolest comments:
We have had Rin and Stimpy (our two firefish) for 2 years in our 135 gal aquarium. They have been hiding in a rock off and on for over 2 months now. Today we realized why!!! We have baby fire fish about 1//4" long swimming near their rock. Shrimp is the only thing to ever reproduce in our tank. We are so excited. Hopefully a few of them will grow big enough to be safe in the tank. Sailorgirl 2005-01-02
the firefish I got two days ago seems to prefer brine srimp and slow sinking pellets. rj 2004-03-31

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