Red Firefish

The Red Firefish is one of the more popular fish in the marine hobby. It is a magnificent fish with brilliant colouration, a unique body shape, and unparalleled personality. They have a yellow head, white anterior, and pinkish to orange-red posterior. The dorsal, anal, and caudal fins are highlighted in black. In addition to its striking colouration, the Red Firefish is also heralded as a sweet-tempered fish with lots of personality. And, because of its small size, the Red Firefish makes a great addition to the smaller reef system.

In the wild, the Red Firefish is usually found in groups hovering over the reef, harvesting planktonic food that drifts by in the current. The docile, Red Firefish is timid and in the wild, each will have a "bolt-hole" into which it quickly ducks when threatened. In the home aquarium, the Red Firefish needs multiple safety zones amongst rocky crags or outcroppings into which it can dart if stressed. This member of the Gobiidae family is generally not aggressive towards other fish except those of its own species. However, a mated pair and small group can live peacefully together in larger aquariums.

To best recreate their wild habitat, the Red Firefish requires a system with moderate lighting conditions and a moderate current passing over the live rock "reef." Keep in mind that a stressed Red Firefish will try to jump out of your aquarium. As such, house the Red Firefish in aquarium systems with a mesh lid. Along with algae and zooplankton growing in the aquarium, the diet of the Red Firefish should consist of vitamin-enriched brine fish (live or frozen), mysis shrimp, and prepared marine foods.