Yellowhead jawfish longevity in home aquaria?

[joec]

I've had three of these, all put through prophylactic QT, but none lasted more than a year in DT.

Is this typical? I love these things but feel like maybe these should be left in the ocean, at least based on my results

 

[mort]

These are great fish and sorry you've had a bad experience as a year isn't normal ime. I don't know their full potential but had a pair in with some seahorses for at least 3 years before one disappeared, and they were a pair I got from someone that had had them at least 18 months. The male had eggs often and was the first to go, so potentially 4-5 years minimum is what I think they could make.

 

[joec]

Well that makes me feel better. Maybe I'll try again. I've had pretty good luck with other fish so I'm a bit perplexed about my troubles with the jawfish. The last one I had developed a large blood filled growth on his gill, I treated with antibiotic regimen, it seemed to go away but he died a few weeks later.