Species: Opistognathus panamaensis, Panamanian jawfish
pectoral: 20
roof mouth: 1-4 teeth
Opistognathus panamaensis Allen & Robertson, 1991
Panamanian jawfish
Elongate, compressed, tapering body; large bulbous head; eye large, high; no cirrus at front nostril; rear end of top jaw straight, without rear fringe; upper jaw 51-53% of head length, same size in both sexes; lips with papillae inside; center of roof of mouth with 1-4 teeth; gill rakers 37; no broad flap below operculum; dorsal rays XI, 13-14; anal rays II, 13-14; pectoral rays 20; tail rounded, much shorter than head; lateral line on front half of body only, high; scales small, smooth, none on head, 76-78 oblique scale rows.
Very similar in coloration and habits to O. rosenblatti; body and dorsal and caudal fins generally bright yellow, with rows of blue spots on body, which, on rear of body, may coalesce to form stripes; no obvious color pattern inside mouth.
Size: reaches about 10 cm.
Inhabits burrows in sand-rubble areas.
Depth: 5-25 m.
Costa Rica to Colombia, Isla del Coco and Malpelo.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
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- Sand & gravel
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Soft bottom only
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- No Data
- Planktivore
- Diet
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- Zooplankton
- Pelagic fish eggs
- Pelagic fish larvae
- No Data
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
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- Brooded
- Pelagic larva
- No data
- Global Endemism
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- East Pacific endemic
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- All species
- Regional Endemism
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- TEP endemic
- Continent + Island (s)
- Island (s)
- All species
- Continent
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 10
- Depth Range Min
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- 5
- Depth Range Max
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- 25
