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Gold-specs Jawfish
Jawfish

Gold-specs Jawfish

Opistognathus randalli

The gold-specs (or black-cap) jawfish is an Indo-Pacific tropical alternative to the blue-spotted jawfish: a striped, orange-and-yellow-finned burrower with a dark cap that is easier to keep warm alongside a normal reef tank. Like all jawfish it needs a deep bed of mixed sand and rubble to build and line a burrow, and a tight-fitting lid because it jumps readily. It feeds on small meaty and planktonic foods (mysis, brine shrimp, cyclops) offered regularly. It is peaceful and reef-safe with corals, best kept singly or as a bonded pair, and with some caution around very small ornamental shrimp it may pick at.

Temperament
Peaceful
Max size
4.3"
Min tank
30 gal
Reef-safe
Reef safe
Diet
Carnivore
Zone
Sand bed, Bottom
Keep just one per tank — two will fight.
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Tankmates

How Gold-specs Jawfish gets on with the rest of the reef, checked pair by pair by the same engine as the live pre-flight.

Best kept apart

A real clash — aggression, predation or a same-genus fight.

Purple TangPurple Tang (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Gold-specs Jawfish and may harass it.Picasso TriggerfishPicasso Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Gold-specs Jawfish and may harass it.Pearly JawfishGold-specs Jawfish and Pearly Jawfish are the same genus (Opistognathus) and will fight — keep only one.Dragon WrasseDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Gold-specs Jawfish.Volitans LionfishVolitans Lionfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Gold-specs Jawfish.Snowflake MoraySnowflake Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Gold-specs Jawfish.Zebra MorayZebra Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Gold-specs Jawfish.Chainlink MorayChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Gold-specs Jawfish.Golden Dwarf MorayGolden Dwarf Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Gold-specs Jawfish.Rectangle TriggerfishRectangle Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Gold-specs Jawfish and may harass it.Clown TriggerfishClown Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Gold-specs Jawfish and may harass it.Miniata GrouperMiniata Grouper (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Gold-specs Jawfish and may harass it.Panther GrouperPanther Grouper (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Gold-specs Jawfish and may harass it.Six-Line SoapfishSix-Line Soapfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Gold-specs Jawfish.Painted FrogfishPainted Frogfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Gold-specs Jawfish.Dogface PufferDogface Puffer has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Gold-specs Jawfish.Porcupine PufferPorcupine Puffer has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Gold-specs Jawfish.Dusky JawfishGold-specs Jawfish and Dusky Jawfish are the same genus (Opistognathus) and will fight — keep only one.Lunare WrasseLunare Wrasse (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Gold-specs Jawfish and may harass it.Spanish HogfishSpanish Hogfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Gold-specs Jawfish.

Keep an eye on these

Usually fine, but worth watching in a smaller tank.

Sailfin TangSailfin Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Gold-specs Jawfish and may harass it.Red Coris WrasseRed Coris Wrasse (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Gold-specs Jawfish and may harass it.Emperor AngelfishEmperor Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Gold-specs Jawfish and may harass it.Queen AngelfishQueen Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Gold-specs Jawfish and may harass it.Blueface AngelfishBlueface Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Gold-specs Jawfish and may harass it.Niger TriggerfishNiger Triggerfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Gold-specs Jawfish and may harass it.Blonde Naso TangBlonde Naso Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Gold-specs Jawfish and may harass it.Desjardini Sailfin TangDesjardini Sailfin Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Gold-specs Jawfish and may harass it.Orange Shoulder TangOrange Shoulder Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Gold-specs Jawfish and may harass it.