Fire Goby (Nemateleotris magnifica) Care Guide
A graceful, slender fish with a white-to-yellow body grading into a vibrant fire-red tail. Hovers above the substrate, flicking its elongated first dorsal ray.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Nemateleotris magnifica is a species in the family Ptereleotridae. A graceful, slender fish with a white-to-yellow body grading into a vibrant fire-red tail. Hovers above the substrate, flicking its elongated first dorsal ray. Peaceful and reef-safe, but an expert jumper — a tight-fitting lid is essential. Timid, best kept in pairs.
Taxonomy
- Family: Ptereleotridae
- Genus: Nemateleotris
- Scientific name: Nemateleotris magnifica
- Other names: Fire Dartfish, Red Fire Goby
- Origin: Indo-Pacific
Habitat
Widely distributed across the tropical Indo-Pacific from East Africa to the Hawaiian and Austral Islands. Hovers above coral rubble at the edge of reef slopes at depths of 6-70 m and retreats into a self-excavated burrow when threatened. Trade-name "fire goby" is also applied to Nemateleotris helfrichi and N. decora.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 80 L
- Temperature: 24-27 °C
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- GH: 8-12 °dGH
- Water flow: moderate
- Adult size: 7-9 cm
- Lifespan: 3-5 years
- Difficulty: beginner
Diet
Classified as carnivore. Recommended feeding frequency: 2x daily. In captivity, offer a varied diet appropriate to the species — quality prepared foods supplemented with frozen or live items of suitable size.
Compatibility
- Temperament: peaceful
- Swimming level: middle
- Compatible tank mates: Clownfish, Royal Gramma, Blennies, Wrasses
- Avoid with: Aggressive Fish, Other Dartfish
Reef compatibility
Generally classified as reef-safe: does not feed on stony or soft corals, tridacnid clams or ornamental shrimps under normal conditions.
Breeding
- Breeding difficulty: advanced
Fire Goby (Nemateleotris magnifica) Breeding Guide
Overview
Nemateleotris magnifica is a dartfish (family Ptereleotridae) widespread across the Indo-Pacific from East Africa to the Hawaiian, Marquesan and Pitcairn islands, reaching about 9 cm (FishBase). It hovers above the bottom facing the current to feed on zooplankton, copepods and crustacean larvae and retreats into a burrow when threatened (FishBase, Wikipedia). It is oviparous and monogamous, but its pelagic larvae make it rarely if ever bred at home.
Sexing
Reliable external sexing is not documented in the consulted sources. Adults are monogamous and occupy sandy burrows alone or in pairs, while juveniles may live in small groups; behavior is therefore the practical guide to a bonded pair (Wikipedia).
Breeding Setup
A calm aquarium with a sandy bottom and rockwork providing burrows suits a bonded pair. The species is a known jumper that will leap from the water, so a tight-fitting lid is essential, and stable parameters in the species range (temperature roughly 24-27 C) support condition (Wikipedia).
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
The species is oviparous with monogamous mating observed as both obligate and social, but detailed spawning behavior is not documented in the consulted scientific sources (FishBase). Dartfish of this group are not established as home-bred species.
Egg & Fry Care
Specific egg and fry data for Nemateleotris magnifica are not documented in the consulted sources. Reef gobioid larvae of this type are small and pelagic, requiring tiny live first foods, and no reliable home rearing protocol is published for this species.
Common Challenges
The absence of documented spawning and rearing methods, combination of pelagic larvae, and the species' jumping behavior make home breeding impractical. Keeping a bonded pair in a securely covered tank is feasible, but reproduction to settlement is not established.