jawfish lifespan?

[bkiba]

How long do jawfish (pearly head) normally live? I'd only had mine about a year and I came home after last weekend and he was gone. I haven't seen him since and it has been about 4 days. He seemed happy in his little PVC cave and wasn't really shy when I fed the tank so I guess he is gone

I checked the floor, the overflow, and the sump several times to no avail. I don't think he got out though cause the tank is covered pretty well. The only shot of escape is out of the sump if he got all the way down there.

O well....

 

[bkiba]

^

 

[Live_Rock'r]

Sorry to hear that. Great fish to be had. Never had one but always admired their personality and collecting nature. Yeah short life span (2-3 years tops) You never know how long they have lived when you get them. Very well could have been his time to go.

 

[AquaticFins]

A captive lifespan of more than five years is quite rare - around three is much more common.

 

[bkiba]

thanks guys - sad to see him go, still haven't found him (skeleton inside tank or fish jerky outside tank). I'm sure if he died my tank reconsumed his body.

 

[ggenz]

did the pvc cave work for you?
did you bury it or just lay it out on the bottom?
how deep of a sandbed did you have?
sorry, i really want to get one of these guys

 

[bkiba]

yea the PVC worked. I used two 45 deg elbows I think 3/4" pipe and buried it in the sand. My sand bed is about 3-4" thick. It took him a while to go to it initially, but once he found it he rarely left it.