Question regarding the breeding of jawfish...

[magellan007]

I'm very interested in exploring behavior and breeding of Dusky Jawfish.. The only problem is that everywhere I look only the Pearly, Blue-spot, and Tiger jawfish reproduction are discussed.

So first things first, I would need to sex the jawfish. I believe the one I currently have is male, due to his little ritualistic dancing that comprises of him hovering almost completely over his burrow, gaping his mouth, and waving his pectoral fins about (this usually takes place at dusk; obviously his internal clock knows what time it is, since the aquarium lights are still on). So is it possible to use my current male and seek out a female since he displays a desire for one? Or would I have better success starting with small, juvenile jawfish?
I'm also interested in what type of filtration I would need on the breeding tank so I wouldn't have to worry about the fry getting sucked anywhere. (and do adults eat their young once they're set out into the world?)

I realize I may not get many responses due to jawfish-breeding not being a very popular subject, however, any tips and information would be appreciated. If the breeding does not work, I would at least enjoy observing the behavior of the species in the same tank.

Thanks,
k.c.

 

[billsreef]

I'd expect the breeding and rearing to be similar to the related jawfish such as the pearly. Best odds on pairing with other jawfish is to get a group of juveniles and let them sort it out for themselves.

 

[magellan007]

would I need special filtration for when their offspring arrive since they are mouth brooders? I read once they're about 15 days old they're ready to make their own burrows..?

 

[tcmfish]

You need to collect the larvae after they hatch. They can't be kept in the main tank. So this means you can keep any filtration setup you want and then when they are due to hatch you would turn the pumps off and either use a larval collector or a light and catch them. Then you would need to raise them probably on rotifers unless you have access to wild plankton. So it isn't like you just leave them in the main tank and 15 days later lots of jaws building burrows. You need to raise them up in another tank preferrably a black round tub.

 

[magellan007]

thanks. Can you show/link me a setup that works well?? (i'm in no hurry, i plan on learning as much as i can before i purchase anything)

 

[FMarini]

magellan--
you might do a search here for Martin Moe's thread on breeding yellow headed jaw fish. its been the only thread I'm aware of w/ success. Unfortunately there is very little useful breeding info on line, but a google search might pull up some.
So lets consider for the sake of arguement that Duskys breed similar to YHJF. (which of course we don't know), you'll have to isolate the male once he carrying eggs. The males only hold for a few days, til the larvae hatch and he release microscopic, errr planktonic fry into the water column.

Martin was successful by using "field collected" plankton. Unless you have access to wild plankton we'll have to work around it, I'm not sure what to tell you in regards to first foods. I suspect it will be copepod nauplii. Don't know what species, but you can start w/ commercially available ones first-- you might get lucky. Otherwise, i'd try anything and everything, from ciliates on up.

So let me ask- have you had any success w/ clownfish and/or psuedochromis? these are great starter fish to practice on, gather experience, and get successful and while Jawfish are a very worthwhile investment, they may be a bit more difficult for someone w/ less experience. However-we're all up for a challenge--right?
good luck

 

[magellan007]

Thanks a bunch for the input, FMarini. Yes, I'd thought about breeding the yellow or pearly first to get an idea what it takes, but I love those little duskys so much I knew I wanted to try with them and also document their behavior on top of attempting to breed them.

I assume I should provide a fine sand for the offspring since I'd think glass would stress them out since their instinct is to burrow...? I was going to raise at least 3 different sizes of food just to be safe.

I've never attempted to breed anything. I'm up for the challenge! I'm a very anal person who pays close attention to detail and perfection--a little too much at times. And hey, if all goes well I could always try a blue-spot jawfish and totally fund my reef obsession!
I'll be sure to search for his thread later today if I get the time. Thanks for your advice, and hopefully you can give me more when I'm closer to starting this experiment.