Species: Opistognathus robinsi, Spotfin jawfish
D ocellus spines II-VII
inside throat all dark
top jaw ends in long thin, flexible plate
Opistognathus robinsi Smith-Vaniz, 1997
Spotfin jawfish
Elongate, compressed, tapering body; large bulbous head; eye large, high; front nostril a short tube with a simple cirrus; mouth terminal, large, extends well to rear of eye; rear of top jaw ending in a thin flexible plate, slightly elongate in female, very elongate in male (extends beyond edge of operculum); front of roof of mouth with 1-5 large, blunt teeth; 28-35 gill rakers; fin spines flexible; dorsal and anal fins with long bases; dorsal X-XI, 15-18, spines thin and flexible, with curved tips that lack swollen fleshy tabs; anal II-III, 16-18; 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 73-88 oblique scale rows.
Brown to nearly black, mottled with shades of brown, no dark spots on scales, no dark bars; dark reticulations on head and nape; body with white spots and blotches; dorsal fin with a prominent large, ocellus with a wide bright white ring between spines III-VII, rest of fin dark, with numerous white spots; pectoral often with pale spots and speckling; rear of inside mouth uniformly dark; inner lining of top jaw and adjacent membranes of adult males with 1 black stripe on a white background, no stripe or a brown stripe in females; tail fin dark, with 2 pale spots at base, and 2-3 pale irregular bars; anal fin with pale base, outer ½ dark, with white spots.
Reaches 15.9 cm.
Lives in burrows on sand and rubble bottoms.
Depth range: 1-46 m, usually less than 20 m.
N Carolina to Texas.
Note: Closely related to both O. macrognathus and to O. brasiliensis, which is endemic to Brazil.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Soft bottom only
- Sand & gravel
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Brooded
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species.
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Extends North of GC
- Continent
- GC non-endemic
- All species..
- Continent only
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 15.9
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 46
