Opistognathus rosenblatti — Details

Blue-spotted Jawfish learn more about names for this taxon

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Overview

Brief Summary

WhyReef - Lifestyle

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The life of the bluespotted jawfish revolves around its precious burrow. At night it covers the entrance, and every morning rebuilds it. It lines the burrow with pebbles and shells to make sure it is extra-strong. Sometimes, it will even steal parts of other jawfishes’ burrows to improve its own! It spends its days around its burrow because it provides excellent protection from predators.
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Comprehensive Description

Biology

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Found in large colonies. Feeds on benthic and planktonic invertebrates. Covers its burrow entrance at dusk and rebuilds the opening each morning.
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Description

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Common names: jawfish (English), bocón (Espanol)
 
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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WhyReef - Fun Facts

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The bluespotted jawfish is well-named, because its mouth is an all-purpose tool. Very, very large compared to the rest of its body, its mouth is of course used for eating, but also to scoop up sand, coral rubble, and broken shells to make a hole, or burrow, to live in. The bluespotted jawfish also uses its mouth to raise its kids: the males hold the eggs in their mouth until they hatch.
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Distribution

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Eastern Central Pacific: Gulf of California.
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Range Description

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The Bluespotted Jawfish (Opistognathus rosenblatti) is endemic to the eastern Pacific and this is found at the tip of Baja California and the lower three-quarters of the Gulf of California, Mexico.
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Eastern Pacific.
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Depth

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Depth Range (m): 5 (S) - 25 (S)
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Zoogeography

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See Map (including site records) of Distribution in the Tropical Eastern Pacific


 
Global Endemism: All species, East Pacific endemic, Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic

Regional Endemism: All species, TEP endemic, Continent + Island (s), Continent, Island (s)

Residency: Resident

Climate Zone: North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California), Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap), Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)

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Physical Description

Morphology

Size

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Length max (cm): 10.0 (S)
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Size

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Maximum size: 100 mm NG
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Max. size

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10.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 11482))
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Type Information

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Holotype for Opistognathus rosenblatti Allen & Robertson
Catalog Number: USNM 316792
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Fishes
Collector(s): G. Allen & D. Robertson
Year Collected: 1990
Locality: Isla San Pedro Martir, Gulf of California, Mexico., Mexico, Gulf of California, Pacific
Depth (m): 12 to 12
  • Holotype: Allen, G. R. & Robertson, D. R. 1991. Revue Francaise d'Aquariologie, Herpetologie. 18 (2): 7.
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Paratype for Opistognathus rosenblatti Allen & Robertson
Catalog Number: USNM 316791
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Fishes
Collector(s): G. Allen & D. Robertson
Year Collected: 1990
Locality: Isla San Pedro Martir, Gulf of California, Mexico., Mexico, Gulf of California, Pacific
Depth (m): 12 to 12
  • Paratype: Allen, G. R. & Robertson, D. R. 1991. Revue Francaise d'Aquariologie, Herpetologie. 18 (2): 7.
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Ecology

Habitat

Environment

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reef-associated; marine; depth range 12 - 12 m (Ref. 58018)
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Habitat and Ecology

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Habitat and Ecology
The Bluespotted Jawfish is a demersal species, found in sandy rubble areas at depths of 5–25 m. It can form colonies of up to several hundred fish.

Systems
  • Marine
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Depth range based on 5 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 4 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 6 - 12
  Temperature range (°C): 22.443 - 23.459
  Nitrate (umol/L): 0.739 - 3.645
  Salinity (PPS): 35.036 - 35.261
  Oxygen (ml/l): 4.879 - 4.970
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.656 - 0.897
  Silicate (umol/l): 4.734 - 7.763

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): 6 - 12

Temperature range (°C): 22.443 - 23.459

Nitrate (umol/L): 0.739 - 3.645

Salinity (PPS): 35.036 - 35.261

Oxygen (ml/l): 4.879 - 4.970

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.656 - 0.897

Silicate (umol/l): 4.734 - 7.763
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.
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Salinity: Marine, Marine Only

Inshore/Offshore: Inshore, Inshore Only

Water Column Position: Bottom, Bottom only

Habitat: Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom), Soft bottom (mud, sand,gravel, beach, estuary & mangrove), Soft bottom only, Sand & gravel

FishBase Habitat: Demersal
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Trophic Strategy

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Feeds on benthic and planktonic invertebrates.
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Feeding

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Feeding Group: Planktivore

Diet: zooplankton, pelagic fish eggs, pelagic fish larvae, bony fishes
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Associations

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Finding food is easy for the bluespotted jawfish: it just opens its mouth. It eats tiny animals called zooplankton that float in the sea. Because it only eats other animals, it is a carnivore.
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Life History and Behavior

Reproduction

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Egg Type: Brooded, Pelagic larva
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Molecular Biology and Genetics

Molecular Biology

Barcode data: Opistognathus rosenblatti

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The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.


There are 2 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.

CCTGTATCTAGTATTTGGTGCTTGAGCCGGAATAGTAGGCACTGCCCTCAGCCTTCTCATCCGAGCAGAACTTAGCCAACCTGGCGCGCTTCTTGGCGACGACCAGATCTACAATGTAATTGTTACAGCACACGCCTTTGTAATAATTTTCTTCATGGTAATACCAATTATGATTGGAGGTTTTGGTAACTGGCTAATCCCTCTAATGATCGGAGCCCCTGACATAGCATTCCCTCGAATAAACAATATGAGTTTTTGACTCCTACCCCCATCCTTCCTCCTACTCCTAGCTTCCTCCGGAGTGGAGGCTGGTGCCGGTACGGGTTGAACCGTTTACCCACCTCTCTCAGGAAACCTGGCCCACGCCGGAGCCTCTGTTGATTTAACTATCTTTTCTCTCCACCTAGCAGGTGTGTCCTCAATTCTCGGGGCTATTAACTTCATTACAACAATTATTAATATAAAACCCCCTGCTATTTCCCAGTACCAAACACCCCTGTTTGTATGGGCTGTCTTAATTACTGCCGTCCTGCTCCTCCTTTCCCTCCCTGTCCTTGCAGCAGGTATTACAATACTACTCACAGATCGAAACTTAAACACCACTTTCTTTGACCCTGCGGGAGGAGGAGACCCAATTCTTTACCAACACCTA
-- end --

Download FASTA File
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Statistics of barcoding coverage: Opistognathus rosenblatti

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Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 2
Specimens with Barcodes: 2
Species With Barcodes: 1
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Conservation

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List Assessment

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Red List Category
LC
Least Concern

Red List Criteria

Version
3.1

Year Assessed
2010

Assessor/s
McCosker, J.E., Acero, A. & Espinosa, H.

Reviewer/s
Collen, B., Richman, N., Beresford, A., Chenery, A. & Ram, M.

Contributor/s
De Silva, R., Milligan, H., Lutz, M., Batchelor, A., Jopling, B., Kemp, K., Lewis, S., Lintott, P., Sears, J., Wilson, P., Smith, J. & Livingston, F.

Justification
The Bluespotted Jawfish (Opistognathus rosenblatti) has been assessed as Least Concern. This species is endemic to Mexico and is considered abundant in many parts of its range. There are no known major threats to this species, and currently no indication of population decline from its collection for the aquarium trade.
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IUCN Red List: Not evaluated / Listed

CITES: Not listed
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Population

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Population
The Bluespotted Jawfish is locally abundant at several island locations in the Gulf of California and near Cabo San Lucas.

Population Trend
Unknown
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Threats

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Least Concern (LC)
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Major Threats
Although not considered a major threat at this time, the Bluespotted Jawfish is collected for the aquarium trade.
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WhyReef - Threats

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Reefs are in danger, and that means so is the home of the bluespotted jawfish!
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Management

Conservation Actions

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Conservation Actions
The Bluespotted Jawfish may occur in a number of marine protected areas in the eastern tropical Pacific region (WDPA 2006), and it is protected by law in Mexico. Given its collection for the aquarium trade, population trends should be monitored.
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Wikipedia

Blue-spotted jawfish

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Opistognathus rosenblatti is a jawfish from the Eastern Central Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 10cm in length.

References

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