Appearance
It reaches a maximum length of 9 cm.The elegant firefish is a slender, colourful fish. The dorsal fin has 7 spines and 27 to 32 soft rays while the anal fin has a single spine and 28 to 31 soft rays. The head is purple and the body colour is whitish or yellowish, gradually darkening to deep grey towards the tail. The fins have longitudinal bands of purple, red, black and orange.
Naming
The populations of this species from the western Indian Ocean have been recognised by some workers as a distinct species, ''Nemateleotris exquisita'', however, the validity of this taxon needs more taxonomic research.Behavior
This species is often found in pairs and is monogamous. They will dart into holes when alarmed.Habitat
It is found over hard, open bottoms of reefs, sandy patches and rubble, as well as deeper coastal outer reef drop-offs where there are strong currents.Food
They feed on zooplankton, especially the larvae of copepods and crustaceans.References:
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