Species: Opistognathus nothus, Yellowmouth jawfish
D spotted + black blotch spines IV-V
top jaw lining - black stripe
rear top jaw rigid, points up
Opistognathus nothus Smith-Vaniz, 1997
Yellowmouth jawfish
Elongate, compressed, tapering body; large bulbous head; eye large, high; front nostril a short tube without a cirrus; mouth terminal, large, extends well to rear of eye; rear of top jaw rigid, angular, tip points up, not ending in a flexible plate; front of roof of mouth without teeth; 26-32 gill rakers; fin spines flexible; dorsal and anal fins with long bases; dorsal X, 14, spines curved, tips slender, flexible; anal II, 13; pelvic fins I, 5, outer 2 rays stout and unbranched, inner 3 rays weaker and branched, fin base before the pectoral; tail rounded, shorter than head, ~25% of SL; lateral line on front half of body only, high; scales small, smooth, none on head, body with 44-54 oblique scale rows.
Head and body dark tan above, paler below; dark brown spots on head; dorsal fin with several rows of brown spots centered on fin spines and rays; a larger nearly black, horizontally elongate rectangle on membrane between spines IV-V and on spine V; yellow on lower lips at rear, and on inside top jaws; inner lining of top jaw and adjacent membrane with a black stripe; dorsal and anal fins with a yellow stripe near outer edge; tail fin with 2 yellow stripes, on top and bottom borders; pectorals and pelvics pale.
Reaches 7.9 cm SL.
Lives in burrows on sand and rubble bottoms.
Depth range: 92-100 m.
N Carolina to Cuba.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Soft bottom only
- Sand & gravel
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic larva
- Data
- Brooded
- Global Endemism
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- All species.
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent
- All species..
- Continental primarily
- Extends North of GC
- Island (s)
- Continent + Island (s)
- GC non-endemic
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 7.9
- Depth Range Min
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- 92
- Depth Range Max
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- 100
