Aquarium Conditioned
Yellow Head Jawfish
Opistognathus aurifrons
You Tube Video of the Yellow Head Jawfish
Description:
The Yellow Head Jawfish also called the Pearly Jawfish, is a terrific fish to watch with its great personality. Multiple specimens spend time together with movements that look like they are dancing together. Found in coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea, the head and upper body are a light, but brilliant, yellow color slowly fading to a pearlescent blue hue.
It remains near its relatively small territory, and is seen with only the head and upper section of its body protouding from its burrow, or it will be found hovering nearby. It is able to arrange material using its mouth to carry sand, shells, or small rocks from one location to another, or removing them from its burrow, and placing them in more preferred locations.
It is a mouth-brooder, with males carrying the eggs in the mouth until they hatch. Normally peaceful. They do well with peaceful marine fish. Multiple Yellowhead Jawfish can be housed in the same tank. Multiple specimens are fine together providing very interesting behavior. The Yellowhead Jawfish can attain a length of approximately 4 inches in the aquarium.
Tank Recommendations:
A 30 gallon or larger aquarium is acceptable. It needs to be kept on 5-7 inches of fine soft substrate such as sand of various particle sizes (not fine). Known for being a jumper when startled or frightened, the tank should have a tight-fitting lid. This fish will spend much of its time in its burrow and when it does venture out, if it is startled, it will bolt back into its burrow tail first with lightning speed. As long as the tank is large enough, several can be kept in the same tank. Multiple specimens provide very interesting behavior as they "dance" up and down in the burrow. Supply various size rocks among the soft substrate to help reinforce the burrows against them; rockpiles are ideal.
Food and diet:
Feed a varied diet consisting of chopped meaty marine foods. These foods include krill, raw table shrimp, squid, clam and mussel. It is also a good idea to occasionally supplement with some type of herbivore diet.
Level of Care:
Moderately Easy
Acclimaton Time:
2+ hours
Reef Compatibility
Very good reef or community fish
Approximate Purchase Size:
2" to 3"
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Aquarium Conditioned
Blue Dot Jawfish
Opistognathus rosenblatti
You Tube Video of the Blue Dot Jawfish
Description:
The Blue Dot Jawfish, also known as the Bluespotted Jawfish, was discovered in the Tropical Eastern Atlantic in 1991 by Allen and Robertson. Its head and body are orange with different shaped metallic blue spots covering all but the fins. As a matter of fact, the neon blue dots actually glow under the aquarium actinic lights! Consider to be the most beautiful and desirable of the jawfish. The Blue Dot Jawfish spends the majority of its time in and around its burrow which serves as its home. A fish that loves to people watch, keep a tight fitting lid to prevent jumping out of the aquarium if startled from your movements.
Tank Recommendations:
It should be kept in a 30 gallon or larger aquarium with docile tank mates. Jawfish require sand substrate as this is how they make their burrows and at least 3 inches is recommended for burrowing. These fish are very aggressive towards others of their own species, so only one specimen, or a mated pair, should be kept per tank. May attack small ornamental shrimps. The Blue Dot Jawfish is known to be a jumper, so it is best kept in an aquarium with a tight-fitting lid to prevent escape.
Food and diet:
Feed a varied diet consisting of chopped meaty marine foods. These foods include krill, raw table shrimp, squid, clam and mussel. It is also a good idea to occasionally supplement with some type of herbivore diet.
Level of Care:
Moderate
Acclimaton Time:
2+ hours
Reef Compatibility
Yes
Approximate Purchase Size:
Large 3" to 4"
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Aquarium Conditioned
Black Cap Jawfish
Opistognathus randalli
Click to view You Tube Video Black Cap Jawfish
Description:
The Black Cap Jawfish also known as the Goldspecs Jawfish is a hardy aquarium fish that will spawn in the aquarium. Adult size for the Blackcap Jawfish is 4 inches. Coming from the Western Pacific Ocean, the head and body of the Black Cap Jawfish is green with faint orange stripes which some say look like the stripes on a Tiger. It has a black spot on the dorsal fin, as well as a black cap on top of the head. The Black Cap Jawfish typically reside in burrows that they construct in sandy substrate. They will stuff their mouth with sand and spit it out elsewhere, slowly creating a tunnel. Utilizing the protection of these burrows, these fish will hover feeding on plankton or other small organisms, ready to dart back in at the first sign of danger. They are territorial of the area around their burrows. The Black Cap Jawfish are interesting animals with an amusing defense mechanism. When threatened the Black Cap Jawfish will open their mouths to comical proportions in an attempt to intimidate.
Tank Recommendations:
A 30 gallon or larger aquarium is acceptable, and should have a tight-fitting lid to prevent escape. Although it eats small fish and shrimp, with caution, it can make an excellent reef inhabitant. The aquarium requires live rock on which the hawkfish can perch itself on, just like it would in the wild. Keeping more than one hawkfish (unless it is a compatible pair) will require a really big and cleverly decorated aquarium. The hawkfish is normally kept in an aquarium with fish from other families. As a general rule, it is best to add all the other fish to the aquarium and let them familiarize themselves with the environment before introducing your hawkfish.
Food and diet:
Feed a varied diet consisting of chopped meaty marine foods. These foods include krill, raw table shrimp, squid, clam and mussel. It is also a good idea to occasionally supplement with some type of herbivore diet.
Level of Care:
Moderate
Acclimaton Time:
2+ hours
Reef Compatibility
Yes
Approximate Purchase Size:
2-1/2" to 3-1/2"
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