Facts and Information
The darling of many reef tanks, the Yellow-headed Jawfish is "the" Jawfish to have in the minds of most marine aquarists. This fish belongs to a group of fish called the Opistognathids with a characteristic large jaw and strong burrowing habits with mouth brooding reproductive behaviors. The Opistognathus genus is the largest and contains around forty-five species to date. The Pearly Jawfish is highly popular with reef aquarists for its peaceful demeanor and sand-stirring behaviors and is only found in the Caribbean and waters of the tropical West Atlantic. It may also be referred to as a Pearly Jawfish in reference to its iridescent milky body color. Males are diligent partners, enticing the female to spawn with undulating motions of the pectoral fins and body. After fertilization takes place, the male takes the eggs into his mouth to protect them until they hatch. In the wild, it is found living in around sand and rubble areas where they pop up out of their burrows to feed on passing plankton and crustaceans.
Size - Medium
Possible Tankmates - Citron Goby, Cinnamon Clownfish