| 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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