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General information - The Fire Dartfish or the Nemateleotris magnifica is one of the most popular fish in the saltwater hobby. They are a good community fish and are very comfortable in a reef settingIt has elongate white first dorsal fin, yellow snout and white head. The body shades from white to bright orange-red. Their beautiful elongated dorsal fin is used to signal other Dartfish (way of communication) as well as a searching device similar to the triggerfish.In nature the Dartfish is found near the substrate of the upper reef in tropical marine waters. The magnifica use holes in the substrate as burrows and a few juveniles can share the same hole. Adults on the other hand occupy burrows in pairs or as a solitary fish. They are also found in groups hovering over the reef, harvesting planktonic food that drifts by in the current Common Name – Dartfish, magnifica, Fire Dartfish, Fire Goby, Firefish Goby Scientific Name - Nemateleotris magnifica Family - Gobiidae Origin - Indo-Pacific and Central Pacific Size – About 8-9 cm (3 inches) First discovered - Fowler, 1938
Photo by: Wild Blue
Nutrition – CarnivoreIn nature this fish faces into the current to feed on zooplankton, especially copepods and other crustacean larvae.In captivity it will accept commercial food such as flakes. Frozen food such as mysis and brine shrimp is essential for this fish Behavior – peaceful but may fight with its own genus Maintenance and care - 10 gallons and up.Because of its small size, the Fire Goby makes a great addition to the smaller reef system or to any reef system. The fire goby requires sandy substrate or gravel and lots of rock formation as hiding places. This species is known to jump out of tanks and you should ensure that the tank is covered properly The Firefish Goby is a low maintenance fish what makes it a good addition to any saltwater system Water Parameters – temperature: 72F- 78F, PH: 8.1-8.4, Specific gravity: 1.020-1.026 Breeding – unknown.
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