Purple Firefish Goby (Nemateleotris decora)

The Purple Firefish Goby (Nemateleotris decora), also called the Decorated Dartfish or Elegant Firefish, is one of the most colorful nano gobies you can add to a peaceful reef. A pearl-white body glows with electric purple along the snout and dorsal ridge, finished with fiery red and violet banding through the tail and fins. It hovers gracefully in the water column above its chosen hideaway and darts back to safety the instant it feels exposed. Hardy, reef-safe, and endlessly entertaining, it is an outstanding pick for new and seasoned saltwater keepers alike.

Browse the rest of our saltwater fish and latest arrivals to build a calm, color-packed reef community.

Care Guide

A tight-fitting lid is a must. Firefish are accomplished jumpers and will leap through the smallest gap when startled, so cover every opening before you add one. Give it plenty of live rock with caves and crevices: it claims a burrow or hole as a home base and rarely strays far from it. The Purple Firefish is shy and peaceful, so house it with equally gentle tankmates and avoid aggressive or fast, food-hungry fish that will out-compete it at feeding time.

It is best kept singly or as a bonded pair. Two unbonded firefish of the same species will usually squabble, so add a confirmed pair together or keep just one per tank. Once settled, it is a hardy, long-lived fish that spends its day hovering in the current, picking zooplankton from the water.

Quick Care Specs

Compatibility

Pair the Purple Firefish with other peaceful reef citizens: clownfish, small wrasses, cardinalfish, gobies, and dartfish, including its close cousin the Exquisite Firefish. It is completely reef-safe and will not bother corals, clams, or ornamental invertebrates. Skip tankmates that are large, boisterous, or territorial, such as triggers, larger angels, hawkfish, and dottybacks, which will bully it into permanent hiding.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• A varied carnivore diet of frozen mysis, enriched brine shrimp, and finely chopped meaty foods, rounded out with a quality marine pellet or flake. Browse our feeding tools.
• Stable salinity and clean water: stock up on reef salt mixes and water care.
• Trace elements and supplements to keep your reef parameters rock-steady.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I really need a lid? Yes. Jumping is the number-one cause of firefish loss. A tight lid or mesh screen over every opening is essential.

Can I keep more than one? Only as a bonded pair added at the same time. Two unpaired firefish usually fight, so most reefs do best with a single specimen.

Is it reef-safe? Completely. It ignores corals and invertebrates and spends its time hovering in open water near its burrow.

What does it eat? Meaty marine foods: frozen mysis, brine shrimp, and finely chopped seafood, supplemented with a good marine pellet or flake.