Fire goby
A colorful dartfish that signals with its long dorsal fin.
Last updated
The fire goby (Nemateleotris magnifica) is a species of dartfish native to coral reefs of the Indian and Pacific oceans. It is known by a variety of common names including magnificent fire fish, fire dartfish, and red fire goby. This fish is notable for its bright coloration and long dorsal fin, which it uses to signal to others of its species.
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassActinopterygii
- DivisionTeleostei
- OrderGobiiformes
- FamilyGobiidae
- GenusNemateleotris
- SpeciesNemateleotris magnifica
Named by Fowler, 1938
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Nemateleotris magnifica (CC BY-SA 4.0) · differs from this box at family: WoRMS AphiaID 219611 (CC BY 4.0)
Conservation status
Least Concern (LC)
- LC▲ this species
- NT
- VU
- EN
- CR
- EW
- EX
Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category
How big is it?
Largest length in the source, 0.09 m, next to a 1.8 m person.
Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Nemateleotris magnifica
Where the fire goby has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (4,260 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 21 inland records left out (institution coordinates).
Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain) · place coordinates: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Background
The fire goby typically has a bright yellow head, merging into a white body, gradually shading into a red-orange tail. Its dorsal fin is very long, and the fish flicks it back and forth as a signal to conspecifics. As a full-grown adult, it reaches a maximum length of 9 centimeters. Nemateleotris magnifica inhabits parts of the Indian and Pacific oceans, occurring as far west as the East African coast and as far east as the Hawaiian Islands.
Within the Pacific, it ranges as far south as the Austral Islands in French Polynesia and as far north as the Ryukyu Islands in Japan. It is found on coral reefs at depths of 6 to 70 meters.
This species is usually found just above the bottom, facing into the current, where it awaits its prey of small invertebrates. Adults occupy sandy burrows alone or in pairs, while juveniles live in small groups. These fish are monogamous and will retreat to burrows if threatened.
More in Gobies, Blennies & Basslets
Elsewhere in Reef Aquarium Species
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Nemateleotris magnifica (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Classification: the source article's taxobox; compare WoRMS, the World Register of Marine Species (CC BY 4.0).
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List assessment.
- Occurrence records: GBIF (CC0 / CC BY). Basemap: Natural Earth (public domain).
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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