Exquisite Firefish
Nemateleotris exquisita
Original price was: $141.99.$74.99Current price is: $74.99.
| Stock | Variations | Price | Quantity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Stock | 2 - 3" - Indian Ocean | Original price was: $141.99.$74.99Current price is: $74.99. |
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Full guarantee terms →Ships Monday – Thursday for next-day arrival at your nearest FedEx Hold location — typically ready by 9 AM. We monitor every delivery.
Shipping details →
Monday – Friday 8 AM – 9 PM
Saturday 12 PM – 4 PM
Sunday 12 PM – 9 PM
Healthy, stable animals from vetted suppliers — inspected before packing, shipped overnight. Decades of experience built this model so we can deliver premium livestock at 30%+ less than you'd pay elsewhere.
| Care Level | Easy |
|---|---|
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Reef Safe | Yes |
| Functional Benefit | Ornamental Only |
| Diet Type | Carnivore |
| Mininum Tank Size | 20 gallons |
| Max Size | 3 inches |
| Temperature | 72–78°F |
| pH Range | 8.1–8.4 |
| Specific Gravity | 1.022–1.025 |
The Exquisite Firefish (Nemateleotris exquisita) is a slender dartfish with a yellow-to-white front half that shifts into lavender and purple toward the tail. It holds close to a chosen crevice in the rockwork, hovering above its “home base” and flashing its tall first dorsal fin during day-to-day activity.
What You’ll Observe:
- Hovering in open water just above a favorite cave, then making short, quick dashes back to it
- Spending most of its time in the lower-to-middle water column, facing into the flow
- Snapping drifting foods from the water column during feeding time
- Using the same bolt-hole repeatedly while it settles into a consistent daily routine
Provide stable rockwork with small caves plus a bit of loose rubble so it can pick a home base, and use a tight-fitting cover. Offer small meaty foods that stay suspended in the water column, and feed in a consistent spot so it learns where to station. With the right setup, it becomes a steady, visible “hovering” fish in peaceful reef tanks.
Do I really need a lid or mesh top for an Exquisite Firefish?
A tight-fitting cover helps a lot, since dartfish can launch upward when startled and will use surprisingly small gaps.
Can I keep two Exquisite Firefish together?
Most keepers have the best results with a confirmed male/female pair added at the same time, rather than two random individuals.
Why does it hover in the same spot for hours?
Many firefish choose a single “watch point” near their bolt-hole where they can face into the current and wait for food to pass by.
Will it always stay near one cave, or will it explore the whole tank?
It commonly keeps a primary home base and then makes short patrols, especially around feeding times, before returning to the same shelter.
How do I make sure it gets food in a busy community tank?
Feeding smaller items more than once and releasing food upstream (so it drifts past its hover zone) tends to work better than dumping food in one spot.
Each fish is checked for strong appetite and activity before we approve it for your tank.
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