Banded Jawfish

About

The banded jawfish (Opistognathus macrognathus) is one of the more charismatic and architecturally inclined fish you'll encounter from the Western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. In the wild it's found hovering just above sandy or rubble-strewn substrates, almost always within darting distance of the burrow it has painstakingly excavated and lined with shells, pebbles, and debris. That burrow is the center of its world. It retreats into it tail-first at the first sign of trouble, and a male will incubate a mouthful of fertilized eggs there, tumbling them regularly to keep them oxygenated. The species gets its common name from the bold banding pattern running along its body, and like others in the jawfish family it has a noticeably large mouth relative to its head. In an aquarium setting, the burrowing behavior is a genuine highlight. Watching one rearrange substrate and redecorate its home entrance is endlessly entertaining. That said, keeping one well does require some thought. A deep sandy substrate is non-negotiable, and the tank needs a secure lid since jawfish are notorious escape artists. This is not a difficult fish, but that combination of needs puts it in intermediate territory rather than true beginner territory.