Name: Fire goby, fire dartfish, fire fish
Scientific Name: Nemateleotris magnifica (Fowler, 1938)
Family: Microdesmidae
Group: Bony fish
Class: Fish
Size: 0-10 cm.
This beautiful fish lives in tropical waters, next to coral reefs at depths up to 60 m. Here, the adults occupy holes, alone or in pairs, while the juveniles form groups of several individuals. The fire goby has the interesting habit of shaking its dorsal fin backwards and forwards, while hovering in the water. Usually, it remains turned against the current so it can feed on the plankton that is dragged along by the flow of water. The eggs are deposited on the bottom and protected by the males.
Photo by:
Abílio Leitão
Oceanário Location
Living coral reef
