Opistognathidae

Taxobox
name = Jawfishes

---

image_caption = Yellow-headed jawfish,
"Opistognathus aurifrons"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Perciformes
familia = Opistognathidae
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = "Lonchopishtus" "Merogymnoides" "Opistognathus" "Stalix" See text for species.

Opistognathidae ("opisto" = "behind", "gnath" = "mouth"), commonly referred to as jawfishes, are classified within Order Perciformes, Suborder Percoidei. They are found throughout shallow reef areas of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Physically similar to blennies, jawfish are generally smaller-sized fish with an elongated body plan. Their heads, mouths, and eyes are large in size relative to the rest of their bodies. Jawfish possess a single, long dorsal fin with 9-12 spines and a caudal fin that can be either rounded or pointed.

Jawfish typically reside in burrows that they construct in sandy substrate. They will stuff their mouth with sand and spit it out elsewhere, slowly creating a tunnel. Utilizing the protection of these burrows, these fish will hover feeding on plankton or other small organisms, ready to dart back in at the first sign of danger. They are territorial of the area around their burrows.

Jawfish are mouthbrooders meaning that their eggs hatch in their mouths, where the new-born fry are able to be protected from predators.

pecies

As of 2006, there are sixty described species in four genera. There are thought to be many undescribed species.

* Genus "Lonchopisthus"
** "Lonchopisthus higmani" Mead, 1959.
** "Lonchopisthus lemur" (Myers, 1935).
** "Lonchopisthus lindneri" Ginsburg, 1942.
** Swordtail jawfish, "Lonchopisthus micrognathus" (Poey, 1860).
** Longtailed jawfish, "Lonchopisthus sinuscalifornicus" Castro-Aguirre & Villavicencio-Garayzar, 1988.
* Genus "Merogymnoides"
** "Merogymnoides carpentariae" Whitley, 1966.
* Genus "Opistognathus"
** Yellowhead jawfish, "Opistognathus aurifrons" (Jordan & Thompson, 1905).
** Darkfin jawfish, "Opistognathus brasiliensis" Smith-Vaniz, 1997.
** "Opistognathus castelnaui" Bleeker, 1860.
** Bartail jawfish, "Opistognathus cuvierii" Valenciennes, 1836.
** Darwin jawfish, "Opistognathus darwiniensis" (Macleay, 1878).
** "Opistognathus decorus" Smith-Vaniz & Yoshino, 1985.
** "Opistognathus dendriticus" (Jordan & Richardson, 1908).
** "Opistognathus evermanni" (Jordan & Snyder, 1902).
** "Opistognathus eximius" (Ogilby, 1908).
** "Opistognathus fenmutis" Acero P. & Franke, 1993.
** Galapagos jawfish, "Opistognathus galapagensis" Allen & Robertson, 1991.
** Yellow jawfish, "Opistognathus gilberti" Böhlke, 1967.
** "Opistognathus hongkongiensis" (Chan, 1968).
** "Opistognathus hopkinsi" (Jordan & Snyder, 1902).
** Black jawfish, "Opistognathus inornatus" (Ramsay & Ogilby, 1887).
** "Opistognathus iyonis" (Jordan & Thompson, 1913).
** Smiler, "Opistognathus jacksoniensis" (Macleay, 1881).
** Blotched jawfish, "Opistognathus latitabundus" (Whitley, 1937).
** Roughcheek jawfish, "Opistognathus leprocarus" Smith-Vaniz, 1997.
** "Opistognathus liturus" Smith-Vaniz & Yoshino, 1985.
** Moustache jawfish, "Opistognathus lonchurus" (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882).
** Banded jawfish, "Opistognathus macrognathus" (Poey, 1860).
** "Opistognathus macrolepis" (Peters, 1866).
** Halfscaled jawfish, "Opistognathus margaretae" Smith-Vaniz, 1984.
** Mottled jawfish, "Opistognathus maxillosus" (Poey, 1860).
** Largesacle jawfish, "Opistognathus megalepis" Smith-Vaniz, 1972.
** Yellowmouth jawfish, "Opistognathus melachasme" Smith-Vaniz, 1972.
** Mexican jawfish, "Opistognathus mexicanus" Allen & Robertson, 1991.
** Robust jawfish, "Opistognathus muscatensis" (Boulenger, 1887).
** Birdled jawfish, "Opistognathus nigromarginatus" Rüppell, 1830.
** "Opistognathus nothus" Smith-Vaniz, 1997.
** Panamanian jawfish, "Opistognathus panamaensis" Allen & Robertson, 1991.
** Papuan jawfish, "Opistognathus papuensis" (Bleeker, 1868).
** Finespotted jawfish, "Opistognathus punctatus" (Peters, 1869).
** Leopard jawfish, "Opistognathus reticulatus" (McKay, 1969).
** Giant jawfish, "Opistognathus rhomaleus" (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882).
** Spotfin jawfish, "Opistognathus robinsi" Smith-Vaniz, 1997.
** "Opistognathus rosenbergii" Bleeker, 1857.
** Blue-spotted jawfish, "Opistognathus rosenblatti" Allen & Robertson, 1991.
**"Opistognathus rufilineatus" Smith-Vaniz & Allen, 2007 [cite journal | journal = Aqua (Miradolo Terme) | volume = 13 | issue = 1 | year = 2007 | pages = 35–42 | title = "Opistognathus rufilineatus", a new species of jawfish (Opistognathidae) from the Bird's Head Peninsula, western New Guinea | author = Smith-Vaniz & Allen]
** Bullseye jawfish, "Opistognathus scops" (Jenkins & Evermann, 1889).
** "Opistognathus signatus" Smith-Vaniz, 1997.
** "Opistognathus solorensis" Bleeker, 1853.
** Dusky jawfish, "Opistognathus whitehursti" (Longley, 1927).
* Genus "Stalix"
** "Stalix davidsheni" Klausewitz, 1985.
** "Stalix dicra" Smith-Vaniz, 1989.
** "Stalix eremia" Smith-Vaniz, 1989.
** "Stalix flavida" Smith-Vaniz, 1989.
** "Stalix histrio" Jordan & Snyder, 1902.
** "Stalix immaculata" Xu & Zhan, 1980.
** "Stalix moenensis" (Popta, 1922).
** Oman jawfish, "Stalix omanensis" Norman, 1939.
** "Stalix sheni" Smith-Vaniz, 1989.
** "Stalix toyoshio" Shinohara, 1999.
** "Stalix versluysi" (Weber, 1913).

References

*