| Scientific Name: |
Nemateleotris decora |
 |
| Species Authority: | Randall & Allen, 1973 |
|
| Family: |
Gobiidae |
|
| Common Name: |
Purple Firefish, Decorated Dartfish, Elegant Firefish, Purple Dartfish, Dekor-Schwertgrundel (DE) |
|
| Distribution: |
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. |
|
| Environment: |
Reef-associated; marine; depth range 25 to 70 meters. Found, often in pairs, over hard, open bottoms at the bases of reefs and over sand and rubble patches and also observed in deep coastal to outer reef drops-offs subject to strong currents. |
|
| Reef Safe: | Yes |
|
| Minimum Tank Size: | 50 liters, preferrably larger |
|
| Tank Set-up: | Marine aquarium with corals, a lot of live rocks / rocks, live sand, macroalgae. They do need hiding places, caves, some sort of shelter to help make them feel secure. They will dart into a hole, with lightning speed, when alarmed. This species is a very good candidate for a nano reef tank. Purple Firefish are also jumpers, so precautions should be taken to secure openings at the top of the aquarium. |
|
| Water Region: | Bottom, Middle - Often found near it's preferred territory in the tank, near overhangs and caves in the lower half of the tank. |
|
| Lighting: | Moderate to strong |
|
| Water Flow: | Moderate to strong, normally found in nano reef or reef tanks and/or FOWLR aquariums. |
|
| Size: |
Up to 9 cm |
|
| Lifespan: |
Up to 3 years, maybe longer in captivity. |
|
| Diet: |
Carnivore. In a captive environment, it will accept and thrive on (vitamin-enriched) frozen marine preparations, flake fish food, brine shrimp, etc. Try a variety of foods to keep your fish active, healthy and vibrant. In the wild, they Feed on zooplankton, especially copepods and crustacean larvae. The vibrant coloring will fade if not fed a vitamin-enriched diet. |
|
| Temperament: |
Peaceful. Very timid fish which can be scared quite easily if there is no cover for them to hide into. It will rarely become aggressive towards other fish, but is territorial, and will fight with its own kind unless they are a mated pair. They are gregarious and they feed in groups in the wild, swimming into currents near reef heads feeding on planktonic animals. Nemateleotris decora can form monogamous pairs. |
|
| Care Level: |
Easy |
|
| Resilience: |
No reliable estimate is available. |
|
| Reproduction: | Egg Layer. There are reports of them breeding in captivity but spawns are known to be very difficult to sustain especially during their planktonic stage. Paired off couples will build a nest and may take turns guarding this nest. They will lay a whitish egg mass approx 2 mm in diameter. Spawning frequency ranges from 8 - 28 days. Incubation period is 7 - 10 days at water temperatures of 24.5-27 C. Specific gravity 1.021 - 1.022. pH 8.2 - 8.4. |
|
| Gender: |
No reliable information available. |
|
| Special Requirement/s: |
It is also very important to take note that they are accomplished tank jumpers. Having an open top tank may not work out for you with this species. A fitted aquarium hood with limited escape points is a necessity. Live rock or other suitable items that can provide shelter for the Purple Firefish are also needed. These hiding places may help them acclimate quicker and lessen the chances of tank jumping. Please avoid keeping them with larger saltwater fish, such as Lionfish, Groupers, Triggers, etc. Large anemones may eat them too. |
|
 |
|
| Red List Status: |
Not Evaluated |
| |
click here for more information |
| |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment