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Illustration of Banded jawfish
fishing forecast

banded jawfish

Opistognathus macrognathus · full profile

location

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period

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the species

everything about the banded jawfish

how to recognize it

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.

Also called: peixe-maxilar-listrado, peixe-maxilar, banded jawfish, guardián bocón

We don't have tips on season, bait or technique for this species yet.

Where to look: Sandy bottoms near coral reefs, 0 to 44 m deep.

Occurs from southern Florida and the Bahamas to northern South America, including the Antilles, on sand near coral reefs.

rules for the banded jawfish

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.

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

estimated weight

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how we calculate

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%.

more about 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.

Family: Opistognathidae · predator

fun facts

  • Males incubate the eggs in their mouths.
  • Forms fixed pairs, without an exclusive territory.
sources and references (2)

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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Opistognathus macrognathus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Opistognathus macrognathusNames by country and language.