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Fire goby, photographed on a transparent background

ReefIn the market220 coinsCommon

Fire goby

Nemateleotris magnifica

Hovers in place, slowly raising and lowering its long dorsal flag.

The Fire goby (Nemateleotris magnifica) is a tropical marine fish of the family Gobiidae. It lives on and around reefs, between 0 and 70 m deep. Adults grow to about 8 cm; the largest on record measured 9 cm (total length). In the aquarium it needs a tank at least 60 cm long and water at 23–27 °C.

Size
8 cm
Smallest tank
60 cm
Temperature
23–27 °C
Care
Easy

In the aquarium

Temperature23–27 °C
pH7.8–8.5
Temperament
Peaceful
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Calm
Water layer
Mid water
Group
Lives on its own
Coral
Reef safe
Drawn to scale in a 60 cm tank

These values are compiled from real species data, and the LumaReef simulation is built to keep them true to life.

Which tank it fits

  • Nano60 cm · 65 litres8 of them
  • Standard90 cm · 180 litres22 of them
  • Wide120 cm · 300 litres37 of them
  • Living room180 cm · 650 litres81 of them
  • Showcase250 cm · 1,200 litres150 of them
  • Gallery300 cm · 1,440 litres180 of them

Who it lives with

In the wild

Water type
Marine
Climate zone
Tropical
Habitat
Coral and rocky reefs
Largest on record
9 cmtotal length
Aquarium trade
Traded commercially

Depth

Conservation status

Classification

  1. OrderGobiiformes
  2. FamilyGobiidae
  3. GenusNemateleotris
  4. SpeciesNemateleotris magnifica
  5. Described byFowler, 1938

In other languages

English
Fire Dartfish
German
Pracht-Flügelgrundel
Spanish
Dardo de Fuego
French
Gobie de feu
Italian
Ghiozzo di fuoco magnifico
Dutch
Vuurpijlvis
Russian
Огненная рыба
Japanese
ハタタテハゼ
Chinese
絲鰭線塘鱧

Quick answers

Fire goby size: how big does it get?
Adults reach about 8 cm. The largest on record measured 9 cm (total length). Record sizes among the 75 Gobiidae species on LumaReef: 1.3 cm (Creamback Dwarfgoby) to 55.3 cm (Violet Goby).
Fire goby tank size: what is the minimum?
A tank at least 60 cm long. In LumaReef that is the Nano tank or larger.
Fire goby water parameters: what does it need?
Temperature 23–27 °C, pH 7.8–8.5. Close to what most Gobiidae on LumaReef need (22–27 °C).
Fire goby tank mates: what can it live with?
It gets along with 87 of the 99 reef species in the catalogue, such as Clownfish, Yellow watchman goby, and Flame hawkfish.
Fire goby: alone or in a group?
It can be kept on its own.
Fire goby and corals: is it reef safe?
Yes, it leaves corals alone.
Fire goby depth: how deep does it live?
In the wild, 0 to 70 m down. Deeper than most Gobiidae on LumaReef (2–30 m).

All Gobiidae speciesAll species A–Z

Sources

Fire goby: compiled from these references.