TankBud

Pearly jawfish

Opistognathus aurifrons

Also known as Yellowhead Jawfish, Yellowheaded Jawfish, Gold Head Jawfish

SaltwaterFish

Pearly jawfish (Opistognathus aurifrons)
Pauline Walsh Jacobson · CC BY 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
3.9 in
10 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Opistognathidae
Origin
Western Atlantic and Caribbean, from southern Florida and the Bahamas through the Caribbean to the northern coast of South America

Overview

A peaceful, engaging burrow-dweller that spends its life around a single tunnel and is safe with corals and inverts, so it is fully reef safe. It only bothers the reef by occasionally spitting sand onto nearby corals as it maintains its burrow. It is shy and does best with calm tankmates that will not outcompete it for food or intimidate it. Several can be kept together in a large tank with enough sand-bed footprint and spacing, so it behaves as a colonial, social species rather than a strict loner.

In the wild

Pearly jawfish live over open sand and rubble flats near reefs, where each fish digs and defends a vertical burrow lined with pebbles, shell, and coral rubble. They hover just above the burrow mouth to snatch drifting plankton and dive in tail-first at any threat. In captivity they need a deep sand bed of at least 10 to 15 cm mixed with rubble and small rock rubble so they can construct and reinforce a stable tunnel. A tight lid is essential because they jump, especially in the first weeks.

Good to know

Opistognathus aurifrons is a mouthbrooder: the male incubates the egg mass in his mouth until the larvae hatch, periodically rolling and aerating them. Its oversized jaws are used for excavating and moving substrate to build the burrow rather than for aggression. A pale pearly-blue body with a soft yellow head gives it its common names.

Did you know

The male broods the eggs in his mouth, going without eating while he tumbles the clutch to keep it oxygenated until the young hatch.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

Pearly jawfish is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Pearly jawfish need?

A Pearly jawfish needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Pearly jawfish need?

A Pearly jawfish is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

How big does a Pearly jawfish get?

An adult Pearly jawfish reaches about 3.9 in (10 cm).

Related species