Purple Firefish, also known as Elegant Firefish, is a type of dartfish.
It’s found in tropical waters from Mauritius to Samoa, including the Ryukyu Islands and New Caledonia. This fish is found at depths of 82 to 230 feet.
Purple Firefish like hard, open areas near reefs, sandy patches, and rubble. They’re also common around deep coastal outer reef drop-offs with strong currents.
These fish often live in pairs because they are monogamous.
Purple Firefish eat small water creatures called zooplankton – mainly baby copepods and crustaceans. If scared, they’ll quickly hide in holes.
Some scientists think that the Western Indian Ocean populations might be a different species (Nemateleotris exquisita), but more research is needed.
These fish are safe for coral reefs and prefer areas with strong currents near reef drop-offs.
Purple Firefish Interesting Facts
- Purple Firefish is a tropical marine fish found in the Indo-Pacific region, living at depths of 82 to 230 feet near coral reefs.
- They have a vibrant appearance with a violet snout, purplish-black body, and colorful tail fin.
- These fish are monogamous and often live in pairs while feeding on zooplankton such as baby copepods and crustaceans.
Purple Firefish Habitat
Purple Firefish is a tropical marine fish found in the Indo-Pacific region.
Its habitat range extends from Mauritius to Samoa, northward to the Ryukyu Islands, and southward to New Caledonia.
This reef-associated fish lives at depths of 25 to 70 meters (82 to 230 feet) and prefers water temperatures between 73.4°F to 80.6°F (23°C to 27°C).
It’s most commonly found between latitudes 30°N to 23°S.
| Water Temperature: | 73.4°F to 80.6°F (23°C to 27°C) |
| Water pH: | Unknown |
| Water Hardness: | Unknown |
Purple Firefish Physical Characteristics
Size: 3.5 inches (9.0 centimeters)
Purple Firefish is a small fish with a maximum length of 3.5 inches (9.0 centimeters).
It has a violet snout and a stripe on its head, with its front body being pale grey and turning purplish-black towards the back.
The tail fin features wide red lobes and a blue center. This fish has 7 dorsal spines, 27 to 32 dorsal soft rays, 1 anal spine, and 28 to 31 soft anal rays.
Fish from the Andaman Islands have more vibrant violet colors and less vivid red parts.
Also, Purple Firefish has an elevated first dorsal fin that doesn’t go beyond the front third of the second dorsal fin.
Its scales are arranged in rows numbering between 135 to 160. The back body scales usually have fewer than ten comb-like structures called ctenii.
Adult Purple Firefish often have branched rear rays on their dorsal and anal fins.
Purple Firefish Reproduction
Purple Firefish mates in pairs and has both required and social monogamous relationships.
Purple Firefish Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Gobiiformes |
| Family: | Gobiidae |
| Genus: | Nemateleotris |
| Scientific Name: | Nemateleotris decora |
| Also Known As: | Purple Firefish, Elegant Firefish |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |