Species: Opistognathus rosenblatti, Blue-spotted jawfish
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.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom only
- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Soft bottom only
- Sand & gravel
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Planktivore
- No Data
- Diet
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- Zooplankton
- Bony fishes
- Pelagic fish larvae
- No Data
- Pelagic fish eggs
- Egg Type
-
- No data
- Brooded
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- East Pacific endemic
- All species
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent + Island (s)
- TEP endemic
- Continent
- All species
- Island (s)
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- 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
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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
