Purple Firefish

The Purple Firefish (Nemateleotris decora) — also known as the Decorated Firefish, Elegant Firefish, or Flame Firefish — is one of the most striking dartfish available to the marine aquarium hobby. Its pale cream-white body transitions to a vivid magenta-purple along the dorsal fin and tail, with electric purple and red markings on the elongated dorsal spine and yellow accents around the face. Compared to its more common cousin the Red Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica), the Purple Firefish is rarer, more colorful, and a true centerpiece nano-reef fish.

Native to deeper reef slopes and rubble zones of the Indo-Pacific, Purple Firefish are shy, hovering dartfish that spend their time floating just above the substrate near a chosen burrow or crevice. At the first sign of danger they dart instantly into cover, which is the origin of the "firefish" name. In the home aquarium they appreciate plenty of rockwork with small caves and overhangs, a tight-fitting lid (they are notorious jumpers, especially when first introduced), and peaceful tankmates that won't bully them away from feeding time.

This species is 100% reef safe with corals, clams, and all inverts. They are peaceful with their tankmates but will fight with their own kind unless kept as a confirmed mated pair in a large enough system. They readily accept a varied diet of mysis, brine shrimp, copepods, and quality marine pellets, and do best in tanks with calm water flow in at least one section of the aquascape. A 20-gallon minimum is suitable for a single specimen, making them an excellent choice for nano reefs and peaceful community systems.

At Ocean To You, every fish is quarantined and observed before sale. We don't sell sick fish.