Pairing Blue Spot Jawfish 03/04/2008
I am writing to ask if it is possible to have Blue spot jaws pair up? I purchased a small BSJ and within a week found a larger specimen with a substantial size head. I rolled the dice and hoped they would form a pair. Well, little BSJ went fin to fin with large BSJ. The little one escaped alive minus a hunk of his lip. Now each has started to settle on different ends of the tank, and engage in stare downs. I have moved LR to create obstructions in their sight paths. Is there any hope they will pair?
<<I Would guess not. Keeping two Jawfish such as these does need a large amount of space between them, and i imagine in your tank, they are literally at opposite ends>>
or should I just be happy I don't have little bits of blue and yellow very pricey fish flesh floating about?
<<Yes, be happy>>
Just to add, they are alone in a species only 30 g tank. LR and deep mixed sand bed. Just hermits and cleaner crew. Both are eating fine, even the one with the missing lip.
<<To be honest, i would not of recommended two of these in a tank so small>>
This is my first attempt at BSJ. I have breeding pairs of pearly jaws in 2 other tanks. But these flashy fellas seem a very different beast, than their Caribbean cousins.
<<Indeed. More reading for you here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/jawfishe.htm>>
Thanks, Beth
<<Thanks for the questions. A Nixon>>

Tank stocking... 37-gallon starting with a jawfish  8/28/07
Okay, my tank is 37 gallons, with 40 pounds of live rock and a deep sand bed. I am getting a yellowhead jawfish (Opistognathus aurifrons) tomorrow,
<One of my favorite fish! These fish are a delight to watch, with enchanting personalities thought they always look mad to me. A couple things you should know. Hopefully your LR is directly on the bottom of you tank and not sitting on top of your sand bed as this fish may very well try to excavate around your LR. If it is not directly sitting on the glass it could lead to LR collapse possibly crushing your livestock. You should also add a bit of mixed gravel, LR rubble, coral bits so your jawfish can construct a burrow. Sometime they adapt well to buried lengths of PVC. They are jumpers and will find the darndest little hole from which to escape and go carpet surfing. Please make sure your tank is well covered. More here and related links in blue:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/jawfishe.htm >
and I'm trying to think of what else to put with it. I know they need peaceful fish.
<Yes.>
I was thinking of this:
1 blue assessor
<Good in theory, though, with all the different LFS I gone to, I've never seen one in person.>
1 Wheeler's watchman goby w/ a pistol shrimp
<Neat symbiotic relationship. You may want to consider a Blackray Shrimp Goby (Stonogobiops nematodes) with its symbiotic shrimp as this fish is about half the size and will be less of a bioload.>
2 clarkii clownfish
<These can reach a good size up to 5.5 inches... acquire juveniles if you wish to keep a pair.>
2 multibanded pipefish
<No. I would highly discourage you. These lovely animals need a dedicated system and specialized care. They can be challenging o feed and require live foods. They generally do not do well in a mixed reef environment. Please reconsider this. Aside from this you already pushing your stocking density. With the fish you mention above.>
Would there be any aggression issues here?
<Hopefully not, though I would keep my eye on the goby and the jawfish as they are both bottom dwellers. Good luck, Mich>

Re: Tank stocking... 37-gallon starting with a jawfish... Now Pipefish  8/28/07
Thanks for the reply.
<Welcome!>
I understand the concerns about the jawfish, and my liverock is stable on the bottom of the tank. The tank is also fully covered.
<Excellent... Hopefully will save you from potential heartbreak... I love these fish, and I think they are terribly easy to get attached to.>
However, the information you gave me on the pipefish goes against the research I've done on them so far. I am aware that they may be challenging to feed, and I would be prepared for that.
<Their survival rate is dismal at best and they are really only suited for the most experienced hobbyist who is dedicated to their specific care requirements. Please read here and the related links in blue:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pipehorsies2.htm >
But from what I've read, pipefish actually do better in reefs because of all the microfauna.
<Yes, this is true and I likely should have clarified. They do best in a pod/microfauna rich environment. However they should be in a low flow dedicated system with only other syngnathids as tankmates. They should not be placed in your average reef system. This is akin to taking the baby out of the baby pool and placing the child in with the crazy surfers who hang ten before/during/after a hurricane. Contrary to MarthaS... Not a good thing.>
They seem smart enough to avoid stinging corals (which I won't have) and most can be trained onto Mysis anyway.
<Yes, but they are not easy to maintain and unless this fish is your absolute passion, I would discourage you from attempting to keep.>
I do understand that I may be pushing the stocking with the amount of fish, so I would be willing to take out the clownfish.
<This is not the issue here. The pipefish is not compatible with this system or any broad-spectrum reef setup. They require dedicated family specific systems.>
I'm not trying to argue here, I'm just confused.
<I understand and hopefully I have clarified. Mich>

Re: Tank stocking... 37-gallon starting with a jawfish 8/28/07
Thanks for clarification
<You are welcome!>
and I think I will now exclude the pipefish from my stocking plans. =)
<Yay! I think you are very wise here.>
The jawfish arrived today (from liveaquaria) and is already eating.
<Double yay! Isn't it just toooo dang cute?
Thanks for your help.
<You are very welcome and I commend you for your decision to avoid keeping pipefish. Mich>

Bluespot jawfish, avail.   8/8/07
Hello crew.
Any idea when the Bluespot jawfish will be back in stores?
<Mmm, no... not so much a seasonal item, as just a species with a limited distribution and collection range... Depends on when folks get out to get it...>
Also, are they able to collect them year round? Any restrictions?
<Collected from time to time, depending on when folks travel to Baja's tip... need the money. Do have to have Mexican and U.S. permits... but these can be had nowadays. Have your LFS contact Quality Marine in LA. Bob Fenner>
Thanks Dan

Blue Spot Jawfish, sel.  - 7/20/07
I was just wondering if you know why this fish is so rare in pet stores? I live in Illinois and have seen the fish twice at a price of $300.00. Are they a protected fish? Thanks Dan
<Mmm, just not common or easily caught... I knew the original describer, Alex Kerstitch... and have seen this fish in its range: http://fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=46578
The lower third of the Sea of Cortez... Oh, and demand I guess. Bob Fenner>

Re: Blue Spot Jawfish  7/20/07
Thanks for get back Bob. I had a bsj for 4 months, water quality was great and the Jawfish feeding appetite was excellent. He arrange the sandbed to which he liked,
<Where are the spaces between your sentences?>
and the problems started. The tank was also a reef setup with corals on the sandbed, which he no longer cared for. The Jawfish would blow sand all over the corals on the sandbed, and on the corals that where higher on the live rock.
<What they do>
It was a everyday event to get the sand off the corals, and I finally gave up. I return the fish for a store credit,8 months later jaw is still in the display tank, and I regret giving him up. Thanks for the excellent article on the Jawfish, I'm ready to purchase another one. I think the two problems that I didn't know were, not giving the bsj any rubble to make his den, and not enough space with the corals on the sandbed so he could a 360 view. I would appreciate any comment you have. Thanks Dan
<Good points... BobF>

Re: Opistognathus rosenblatti   1/29/07
Thank you so much for your quick reply BOB lol  Sorry, but for some reason I always think your a Ron.
<I hope you like him... too!>
I'm a bit confused as to why all the books list them as a  tropical species... when in fact they are not.   I have searched many sites and  read many books and have not seen this fish ever listed as a cool water specie until I found the German reef site.   This incredible fish has been basically wasting away in our tanks because of it.  I'm at a loss as to why  this "new knowledge" isn't being published in more reef and fish magazines, books, forums etc.  Reef keepers must be made aware of this change. In my humble opinion, anyways.
thank you
Lynn McKinney
<Mmm... you can search the location sites given on Fishbase.org: http://fishbase.org/museum/OccurrencesList.cfm?id=46578
and in turn the weather/water temp. data for these localities... not all that warm, I assure you. BobF>

Jawfish quarantine
Hello everyone,
     I thank you for the headaches you relieve (better than Excedrin).  I
just read Mr. Fenner's article on Jawfishes and he stated that if one is to
keep multiple specimens in a single tank, it is better to introduce them at
the same time.  He also stated that they were somewhat territorial.  If I am
to quarantine them (2 yellow headed Jawfish) should I place a divider between the two?
<Yes, a good idea in a small tank... alternatively, and this may seem counter-intuitive, if you had a handful of these fish, they could be crowded together w/ little risk>
Will they be ok together in a ten gallon q tank for about
a month without causing each other damage?  Usually I don't put substrate on
the bottom of the q tank, will it stress them out if I don't?
<I would place at least sections of PVC pipe, but some coarse coral rubble be best>
On a related note, how does one determine the sex of a Jawfish?  Are you guys a non-profit yet?
<Don't know how to sex Jawfishes... and not an official non-profit, but not profitable!>
  Maybe you should look into it if you're not!  Thank you for your help.
-Cory
<Thank you for writing, Bob Fenner>