Yellowhead jawfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yellowhead jawfish |
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The yellowhead jawfish (Opistognathus aurifrons) is a cool type of jawfish that lives in the Caribbean Sea. You can find them around coral reefs. These fish usually live in water that is 3 to 40 meters (about 10 to 130 feet) deep.
This fish has a bright yellow head and upper body. This yellow color slowly changes to a shiny blue further down its body. Yellowhead jawfish can grow to be about 10 centimeters (4 inches) long. They are quite common in the waters near Florida.
Yellowhead jawfish like to live in sandy areas or places with small rocks. They often live in groups that can have up to 70 fish!
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Home Sweet Home: Building Burrows
The yellowhead jawfish loves to build its own home. It usually picks shallow areas where it can find materials. These fish use their mouths to move sand, shells, or small rocks. They carry these pieces from one spot to another to build a safe burrow.
Once their burrow is built, they usually stay very close to it. You will often see them with just their head and the top part of their body sticking out. Sometimes, they might hover just above their burrow.
Life Cycle: Raising Fry
The male yellowhead jawfish has a special job when it comes to babies. It is a mouthbrooder. This means the male carries the eggs inside its mouth! He keeps them safe there until they hatch into tiny fish.
Dealing with Intruders
Yellowhead jawfish have two main ways to react when other fish come too close to their home. They can either run away or fight. How they react depends on who the intruder is.
If they choose to run, the fish will quickly swim into its burrow. Then, it will use a large rock to cover the opening of its home. This keeps them safe inside.
If they decide to fight, the yellowhead jawfish will spit sand or small rocks at the fish that is bothering them. This helps to scare the intruder away.
Yellowhead Jawfish in Aquariums
Many people enjoy keeping yellowhead jawfish in their home aquariums. In an aquarium, these fish eat tiny floating food called plankton. They also like to eat brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and other prepared fish foods.
When other fish get too close to a jawfish's territory in an aquarium, the jawfish might open its mouth wide. This is a warning sign to tell the other fish to back off. However, they rarely attack other fish. Yellowhead jawfish are known to be quite peaceful with other fish of their own kind. You can even keep them in small groups, with about one fish for every 10 gallons of water.
