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Species: Opistognathus rosenblatti, Blue-spotted jawfish

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

tan + rows large blue spots
gill rakers 34-35
pectoral: 17-18
roof mouth - no teeth

Opistognathus rosenblatti Allen & Robertson, 1991

Blue-spotted jawfish

Elongate, compressed, tapering body; large bulbous head; eye large, high; no cirrus at front nostril; end of top jaw straight, without fringe at rear; upper jaw 51-53% of head length, same size in males and females; lips with inner papillae; center of roof of mouth without teeth; no broad flap under operculum; gill rakers 34-35; dorsal rays XI, 13-14; anal rays II, 13-14; pectoral rays 18 (rarely 17); tail rounded, much shorter than head; lateral line on front half of body only, high; scales small, smooth, none on head, body with 65-70 oblique scale rows.

Females and non-courting males with orange-brown head and dark brown to blackish body, covered with relatively large blue spots; courting males white anteriorly and blackish on posterior half with large brown spot on anterior part of dorsal fin; no obvious color inside mouth; small juveniles yellow with blue spots.

Maximum size about 10 cm.

Habitat: found in sandy rubble areas in colonies of up to several hundred fish with a minimal spacing of about 1m between individuals; each fish constructs a lid over their burrow entrance at dusk and rebuilds the opening each morning.

Depth: 5-25 m.

The  lower 3/4 of the Gulf of California and the Revillagigedo Islands.


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Salinity
  • Marine Only
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom only
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Soft bottom only
  • Sand & gravel
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Planktivore
  • No Data
Diet
  • Zooplankton
  • Bony fishes
  • Pelagic fish larvae
  • No Data
  • Pelagic fish eggs
Egg Type
  • No data
  • Brooded
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
  • East Pacific endemic
  • All species
Regional Endemism
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • TEP endemic
  • Continent
  • All species
  • Island (s)
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
  • North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
  • Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 10
Depth Range Min
  • 5
Depth Range Max
  • 25