banded jawfish
Opistognathus macrognathus
Small fish from sandy bottoms near reefs, which forms fixed pairs and incubates eggs in its mouth. It is mostly seen in the aquarium trade.
Also called: peixe-maxilar-listrado, peixe-maxilar, banded jawfish, guardián bocón
- maximum
- 20 cm
- depth
- 0–44 m
who is the banded jawfish
Fish of the family Opistognathidae, elongated, reaching 20 cm. It lives on sandy bottoms near coral reefs, from shallow waters down to 44 m. It eats snails, crabs and fish. It lives in fixed pairs, without defending an exclusive territory. Monogamy is facultative: males stay with a single female because of limited resources, and they incubate the eggs in their mouth. It has commercial use and is also used in the aquarium trade, but almost never shows up on an angler's line.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the banded jawfish.
fun facts
- Males incubate the eggs in their mouths.
- Forms fixed pairs, without an exclusive territory.
identification
Elongated body with a black spot on the upper half of the dorsal fin. Males have a long, curved extension of the maxillary bone with black bands. Females have only a dark band at the corner of the mouth, without that extension. The difference between the sexes helps identify the fish when its head is seen up close.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Occurs from southern Florida and the Bahamas to northern South America, including the Antilles, on sand near coral reefs.
Habitat: Sandy bottoms near coral reefs, 0 to 44 m deep.
rules for the banded jawfish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Not dangerous. Hold it by the body, carefully, and release it quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00389, b = 3.12; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Opistognathus macrognathus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Opistognathus macrognathusNames by country and language.