Purple firefish

Care at a glance

The purple firefish has a white front that shifts through purple into fiery red towards the rear, with a tall, pointed first dorsal fin that it flicks nervously up and down. It hovers just above the rock in the current, picking plankton from the water.

At the slightest disturbance it darts into a crevice, and that is exactly why a closed lid is necessary: startled, it will just as readily jump out of the tank. Keep it alone or as an established pair, since two unpaired fish of similar size usually will not tolerate each other.

Good to know

• Known jumper — cover the tank

Related species

• Blue devil damselfishChrysiptera cyanea
• Scooter blennySynchiropus ocellatus
• Naso tangNaso lituratus
• Picasso triggerfishRhinecanthus aculeatus
• Longnose hawkfishOxycirrhites typus
• Valentini pufferCanthigaster valentini