Yellow Headed Jawfish - Very Cool!

northreef

Member
Hi all, My family and I were at our LFS this afternoon and saw this unique fish.
What an interesting manor it has! If anyone has one, your information on care, feeding habits, and tankmates that are OK to house with them, would be helpful.
Our goal of course is researh to keep a happy tank environment :happyfish
Please keep in mind We are still planning our tank.
 

scsinet

Active Member
I had one up until recently.
They are a peaceful fish, in almost every respect they are similar to the Goby family.
They are reclusive, build burrows in the sand and sit around with their head stuck out waiting for food to pass by when they rush out, snatch it, and rush back.
They will get along with anything and pose no threat to any other fish, inverts, etc. You need to worry about the other fish posing a threat to them. They are small and easily bullied/eaten. One thing I've noticed is that some brasslets tend to steal their burrows and run them out. I had it happen twice.
You need a moderately deep sand bed (at least 3"), and need to pay close attention to the grain size in order to maintain proper husbandry. Plain Carib-Sea Agragonite works for them, but be sure to provide larger bits, rubble, etc for them to shore up their burrows.
That said, mine died for reasons unknown. I'm going to replace him.
 

northreef

Member
Sounds like a nice fish to keep, we are planning on a peaceful set-up. Where would one get the larger bits? The aragonite is easy but I don't recall seeing any rubble, or is that small pieces of live rock?
 

skrimpz

Member
I just got one from swf.com and hes awesome i rember seeing them at the shead aqu a few years ago and have whated on ever since hes gotten used to the tank and now has stalked out a little gap in the rock and has started making his cave. I like him alot i love watching him put the sand in his mouth and move it. ill try and add some pics

 

northreef

Member
Great Pics, Thank-you! He looks like he will like the safety of the LR. Has he eaten anything yet? If so, what did you feed him?
Thanks Again!
 

skrimpz

Member
we got him on thursaday and he hasnt really started coimg out until today, i guess he had to pick a perfect spot for him to make his cave, i read that they like krill so ill gonna drop so in tomorrow morning i just hope he gets some the hermits are fast at getting any food at the bottom
 

northreef

Member
You will have to keep me posted, they look like a lot of fun.
Not many fish I have seen so far (still new though) are as interesting as these ones.
Good Luck!
 

skrimpz

Member
def will...yea i they are really cool it was sitting there watching him for like 20 mins striaght as he moved all the sand around to him liking i dont think they are are to keep at all and none of my other fish have bothered him at all
 
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