Blue Spot Jawfish

The Blue Spot Jawfish, *Opistognathus rosenblatti*, is a charming and active addition to the marine aquarium. This captivating species is easily recognized by its striking blue spots scattered across a tan to yellowish body, and its large, expressive mouth. Native to the sandy and rubble areas of the Indo-Pacific, the Blue Spot Jawfish is known for its fascinating behavior of constructing and maintaining a burrow in the substrate, into which it will quickly retreat when startled.

A minimum tank size of 30 gallons is recommended for a single Blue Spot Jawfish, with a deep sand bed (at least 3-4 inches) being crucial for them to create their burrow. They are generally peaceful but can be territorial towards other jawfish or similar burrowing species. They are best kept with peaceful tank mates that will not harass them. Providing plenty of live rock and open sand areas will allow them to exhibit their natural behaviors.

In the aquarium, the Blue Spot Jawfish will readily accept a varied diet of high-quality marine flake food, pellet food, frozen mysis shrimp, and enriched brine shrimp. They are ambush predators in the wild, so offering food that drifts near their burrow is ideal. They typically reach a maximum size of around 4 inches in captivity. While not commonly bred in home aquariums, they are known to be mouthbrooders in the wild. Due to their burrowing nature and need for a specific environment, they are considered an intermediate level fish for marine aquarists.