Jawfish mouthbrooding

[Preds]

My Pearly Jawfish have spawned again, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to photograph the male mouthbrooding. Luckily he has built his burrow right up against the glass. The quality might be a bit shaky as there's algae on the glass that I can't get off without demolishing the burrow.

Unfortunately I've yet to witness the actual courtship, so hopefully I'll get a picture of that one day.

 

[oceanarus]

That is totaly awesome!!!!

Great pictures!!!!!

Funny thing is just last night, my wife and I were talking about wanting to breed jawfish (bluespot though, if you're gonna go big.......).

So do you raise any of the fry?

Of all the references we could find, most only mentioned being able to sex them during the spawning season (due to changes in coloration of the male). We also did find one reference that said the males jaw will be slightly larger, much like mouthbrooding chiclids. So have you noticed these things with your pair? Are there any other outward differences that you can identify?

Thanks,
Alan

 

[Preds]

Hi Alan,

Unfortunately I have yet to raise any fry. I've never been around when the eggs hatched (if indeed they did hatch) so I haven't had the chance. The Jawfish are in my reef so I suspect if they do hatch they're soon eaten, which means I have to literally be watching to enable me to intervene. One day I might try to catch the male and put him in a tank of his own, or get him to release the eggs and out them in a tank of their own.

As far as I can see, there are no distinct differences between my male and female. The male is slighty broader than the female, and has a slightly larger head, but I couldn't say whether this was actual sexual dimorphism or just general variation. They were identical, as far as I could see, when I bought them. Mine paired up purely by chance - I bought two and they happened to be male and female. I never had the intention of breeding them either, I just like keeping some fish in twos in the hope that I will get a male and female. I have been tempted in the past to try and breed jawfish in their own system, but the usual time and space constraints apply. If you do decide to go ahead, I wish you the best of luck.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

 

[ozadars]

Very cool pictures!
Just a guess but maybe they leave out their fries in their deep burrow (but i guess you dont have a DSB) and fries feed on the small critters that live in the sand, is it like that? If so will just having a healthy, old DSB be enough to grow the babies?

 

[Preds]

As far as I know, the fry are pelagic for a couple of weeks after hatching. They make their first burrows after 3 weeks or so. Also, I have just read that the male develops a dark spot on his lower jaw during breeding time.

 

[oceanarus]

I knew about the color changes of the male during breeding time. But then if you have them breeding you're past trying sexing them to pair 'em up.

 

[Preds]

I suppose even if there were differences they might not be present in the younger fish that tend to come up for sale. As I say, the female is thinner and the male has an ever so slightly fatter head. How much you should read into that, I couldn't tell you.

If you started with Pearlies you could buy a small group and wait until they spawned to identify males and females. Wouldn't be as easy with Blue Spots, because they're more territorial.

 

[chicki]

Those are greats pics!!
I also have a pair of pearly's. One is also got a mouth full of eggs. They are in a 33 gallon (yr old) tank with a pair of cardinals. When I first bought them I bought a larger one and a smaller one. They did share the burrow for the first week or so and then built their own. They've stayed apart until now. A week or so prior to noticing the eggs I thought they were bickering as they would both approach each other and open the mouths as large as possible. To me it looked aggressive, but in hindsight I'd imagine the male was showing her his " large nest/egg holder" !
Anyways, I only saw him once with eggs and since then he has not come out of the burrow, she has moved in with him and is the only one to come out to eat, and chase the cardinals away if they get to close.
Preds, let me know what happens. Do you know of any threads or sites that can help me out trying to raise them?
thanks

 

[mwp]

Wow, what an old post and still those pics are STUNNING!

MP