Purple firefish

Care at a glance

Overview

Purple firefish are reef safe and will not nip or bother corals, clams, or other sessile invertebrates. They rarely show aggression toward unrelated tankmates but are territorial toward their own kind, so keep a single fish or an established male and female pair rather than a loose group. As with all firefish they are serious jumpers, so a secure lid is essential. Offer a varied diet of finely chopped meaty seafood, mysis, and enriched brine.

In the wild

The purple firefish keeps to slightly deeper reef and rubble zones than its fire dartfish cousin, hovering above the bottom to feed on drifting plankton and retreating to a burrow when alarmed. It needs the same setup: a tank of around 75 liters or more, loose coral rubble and rockwork to shelter in, and a tightly fitting lid. It holds near the lower and middle water column and grows bolder about staying in the open once it settles in.

Good to know

Its coloring is where the name decora comes from, a pale body washed with purple over the head and fins and a yellow face, more subtly patterned than the fire dartfish. Like other dartfish it constantly flicks its tall first dorsal fin. It too spawns in captivity only rarely with success, since the small pelagic larvae are extremely hard to raise, so most specimens are wild collected.

Common questions

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