Blue Spotted Jawfish

[boacvh]

I got one a few weeks ago. He has dug a crater the size of a basketball. Really cool fish indeed

 

[Alexr54]

Yep, about 2 1/2 years ago and still kicking.
Somewhere i read they have a 2 year or so lifespan in captivity. That can't be right.

 

[braaap]

Yep, about 2 1/2 years ago and still kicking.
Somewhere i read they have a 2 year or so lifespan in captivity. That can't be right.

The theory is they live in cooler waters so they have a shorted lifespan in our tank. I don't know anyone personally that has owned one and this is my first one so I don't have first hand experience. I did have a pearly jawfish that I kept for 3 or 4 years before I broke down my tank. But I believe they come from warmer waters.

 

[Steve and his Animals]

Yep, about 2 1/2 years ago and still kicking.
Somewhere i read they have a 2 year or so lifespan in captivity. That can't be right.

The only reason this is often the case is that the blue-spotted jawfish is not a tropical fish, so us keeping them in the mid-high 70's consistently shortens their lives significantly. They come from the Gulf of California, where the water at the depths they live is averaging in the low 60's/mid 50's throughout most of the year. Most people lose their blue-spots at around the one year mark from the mysterious "blue spot jawfish disease," which is likely not an actual disease just them succumbing to the temperature stress they are not used to.

 

[Alexr54]

Ahh right that's what it was.
Well so far no signs of stress. I keep my tank at ~76 and never above 77.