Firefish

Care at a glance

Overview

The firefish is a shy, reef-safe dartfish for a peaceful reef tank. It is easy to keep, as long as the tank is covered.

Caring for the firefish

Give firefish a tank of at least 20 gal (75 L) with plenty of rockwork full of crevices. Each fish keeps a bolt hole in the rock or rubble and dives into it the instant it feels threatened. Firefish are champion jumpers that squeeze through the smallest gap when startled, so a tight-fitting lid is not optional.

A new firefish stays near the bottom third of the tank until it feels secure, then holds in open water. Hold the water at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Feed small meaty foods and frozen preparations for carnivores.

Firefish are reef safe and leave corals and invertebrates alone. They are shy and docile toward other fish but can be aggressive toward their own kind. Keep a single fish or a bonded pair rather than several loose fish in a smaller tank.

Spawning has been observed, but rearing the tiny pelagic larvae is very difficult. Almost all firefish in the trade are wild collected.

Good to know

The firefish, Nemateleotris magnifica, is a dartfish in the family Microdesmidae rather than a true goby. It is also sold as the fire goby or the magnificent dartfish. Its tall first dorsal fin flicks up and down almost constantly. This may help firefish signal to each other and judge distances near their burrows.

In the wild

Firefish live on reefs across the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa to Hawaii. They hover just above the bottom near the reef, facing into the current to pick plankton out of the water. Their bodies are built for hovering rather than resting on the bottom.

Common questions

Related species

• 

  Purple firefish

  Nemateleotris decora

  3.5 in (9 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)

  3.5 in (9 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Helfrich's firefish

  Nemateleotris helfrichi

  2.4 in (6 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)

  2.4 in (6 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  Barberi clownfish

  Amphiprion barberi

  3.5 in (9 cm) · 30 gal (115 L)

  3.5 in (9 cm)30 gal (115 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Colin's angelfish

  Centropyge colini

  3.5 in (9 cm) · 55 gal (210 L)

  3.5 in (9 cm)55 gal (210 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Joculator angelfish

  Centropyge joculator

  3.5 in (9 cm) · 70 gal (265 L)

  3.5 in (9 cm)70 gal (265 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Lemon damsel

  Pomacentrus moluccensis

  3.5 in (9 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)

  3.5 in (9 cm)29 gal (110 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)