Blue-Spotted Jawfish

Care at a glance

Overview

It needs a 115 litre or larger tank with a sand and rubble bed at least 8 cm deep for burrowing, plus a very tight lid because it jumps. Keep the temperature on the cool side, around 21 to 25 C, with pH 8.1 to 8.4, and use a chiller if the room runs warm. It is reef safe and peaceful, though males spar over burrows, so give each fish space. Feed mysis, enriched brine, and other small meaty foods.

In the wild

The blue-spotted jawfish digs a vertical burrow in sand and rubble and hovers just above the entrance, dropping back tail first when startled. It has a tan body covered in electric blue spots. It comes from the cooler waters of the Sea of Cortez, so it needs lower temperatures than most reef fish. It lives in loose colonies where burrows are spaced across the sand.

Good to know

Opistognathus rosenblatti is a jawfish in the family Opistognathidae. Jawfish are mouthbrooders, and the male holds the egg mass in his mouth until the young hatch. This species is collected only seasonally, which keeps it scarce and pricey.

Did you know

Keeping it too warm shortens its life, so it is one of the few popular marine fish that genuinely prefers a cooler tank.

Related species

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  Gold-Specs Jawfish

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  Disco Blenny

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• 

  Red Sea Mimic Blenny

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