Latin name | Nemateleotris helfrichi - Randall & Allen, 1973 |
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Local name | Helfrichs' dartfish |
Family | Microdesmidae - Nemateleotris |
Origin | Australia, Indonesia, East Pacific, Central/West Pacific |
Max length | 6 cm (2.4") |
Minimum volume | 100 l (26 gal) |
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Hardiness | Hardy |
Suitable for aquarium | Suitable for most aquarium |
Reef safe | Always reef safe |
Aggressiveness | Docile but might be aggressive towards similar species |
Recommended |
Small crustaceans (Krill, mysis, artemia...) Zooplankton (Cyclops, pods...) |
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This species is known to jump out of open aquaria.
This species can live as a pair (male and female).
This species needs good hiding places, for example, between live rocks.
This species is very shy and docile, so one should be careful when keeping it with more aggressive fish.
Over time this species can lose some of its colour when the food does not contain sufficient vitamins.
It pays therefore, to use a some type of enriched food, or one, specific to this species.
Dartfish (Microdesmidae) are recognized by their unique torpedo like shape. All Dartfish need hiding places where they can withdraw to when feeling threatened. They do not normally naturally dig their own holes, but use ones made by other creatures.
They are generally a popular aquarium fish, relatively easy to keep, so for a small tank with peaceful fish the Dartfish is the obvious choice.
They can easily feel threatened by larger more aggressive fish with the result that they cannot feed enough and die by lack of food. One has therefore a greater chance of success when they are kept with smaller, peaceful, fish.
After first introducing a Dartfish, it is advizable to dim the light, so it can get used to the tank in peace.
Aquarium trade | Yes |
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Distribution | Pacific Ocean: eastwards to the Tuamoto Islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands. |
English common names |
Helfrichs' dartfish |
Daniel Pomfret. 2008. Let’s Play Darts! Marine Dartfish - Tropical Fish Hobbyist - (English)
Bob Fenner. Firefishes, Dartfishes, Wormfishes, Family Microdesmidae, Subfamily Ptereleotrinae - Wet Web Media - (English)
Minimum volume
"Minimum volume" indicates the size of the tank needed to house this species under optimal conditions.
This is based on a medium size animal, which you want to keep for several years.
It might be possible to keep smaller specimens for a limited period in a smaller tank. A larger tank might be needed for fully-grown specimens.
Hardiness
"Hardiness" indicates how resistant this species is to disease and how well i tolerates bad conditions in general.
Some species doesn't handle transportation very well, but that doesn't mean that the species isn't hardy under the right conditions.
Suitable for aquarium
In this case, a "normal" aquarium is a reef aquarium with mixed corals or a fish only aquarium with an approximately salinity of 1.026 (sg) and a temperature close to 26°C.
Species requiring more than a 4000-liter tank are considered not suitable for home aquarium.
Special aquariums may cover tanks with low salinity, sub-tropical temperature, deep sand bed, sea grass etc.
Reef safe
Always reef safe: No sources indicate that this species will harm corals or other invertebrates.
Often reef safe: Only a few aquarists has reported problems keeping this species with corals and other invertebrates.
Reef safe with caution: This species may be a threat to some types of invertebrates.
Reef safe with luck: Most specimens will harm corals and/or other invertebrates, but you might be lucky.
Not reef safe: This species is a threat to most corals and/or other invertebrates.