The Rising Tide Conservation team at the UF/IFAS Tropical Aquaculture Lab has been working on aquaculturing the fire goby, Nemeteleotris magnifica. Also known as fire dartfish or firefish goby, the fire goby is an Indo-Pacific reef-associated fish that can be found in tropical waters from East Africa to Hawaii. Fire gobies form monogamous pairs and lay demersal eggs.
The UF/IFAS TAL team is currently working with spawn generously donated by intern Kyle Hirt. The broodstock is a single pair housed in a home aquarium. The pair is spawning about once per month with about 3000-6000 demersal eggs each spawn. The team has been able to successfully culture to 52 days post hatch (DPH). At this stage the fry have not settled, but based on information from Dr. Andy Rhyne and his work on purple firefish, Nemateleotris decora, they anticipate settlement around 65-70 DPH.
The team is currently working through feeding challenges. The team was feeding 5 copepod nauplii/ml 2x a day, and then experienced high mortality when transitioning to artemia. They are also working on the timing of adding micro pelleted diets.
UF/IFAS TAL Team: Dr. Matthew DiMaggio, Grace Sowaske, Sarah Hutchins.
The team would like thank Sea World Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, Instant Ocean, Spectrum Brands and Rising Tide Conservation for their support in making this exciting research possible.
Video of Kyle Hirt’s fire goby, Nemeteleotris magnifica, broodstock spawning.
