Opistognathus gilberti Böhlke, 1967
Yellow jawfish
Opistognathus gilberti
photo by Speed, B.

Family:  Opistognathidae (Jawfishes)
Max. size:  6.35 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  reef-associated; marine
Distribution:  Western Central Atlantic: Bahamas, islands and reefs of the western Caribbean Sea, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 11-11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12-14; Anal spines: 2-2; Anal soft rays: 13-14. Females gray, shading to whitish ventrally on head and abdomen, with a median yellow stripe in dorsal and anal fins, and a large area of yellow in caudal fin. Males head and body reddish gray, darkening posteriorly to black, except abdomen which is whitish; caudal fin black except for a wedge-shaped white marking dorsally and ventrally at fin base; dorsal and anal fins white, the dorsal with a round black spot between fifth and sixth dorsal spines (Ref. 13442).
Biology:  Inhabit steep slopes at the edges of banks (Ref. 5521). Mouthbrooders (Ref. 240).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 23 August 2012 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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