🐠 Yellow Head Jawfish (Opistognathus aurifrons)
A Bright Yellow Head Transitioning to a Pale Blue-White Body • Famous for "Spy Hopping" Above Its Burrow • One of the Most Personable Jawfish Species
 
📋 The Yellow Head Jawfish, also known as the Yellowhead Jawfish, Pearly Jawfish, or Yellow-Headed Pearly Jawfish, has a striking bright yellow head that gradually transitions into a pale bluish-white body, paired with a distinctive upward-facing mouth and a constantly alert posture.
It comes from the tropical Western Atlantic and Caribbean, inhabiting sandy, rubble-strewn reef flats, always found in close proximity to its burrow. Every Yellow Head Jawfish we ship is feeding well.
A charming fact: this species is a real skilled burrower, constructing elaborate tunnels from sand, shells, and small rubble, and is famous for "spy hopping", hovering vertically above its burrow entrance and bobbing to watch its surroundings, often people-watching its keeper. This is also a documented mouthbrooder, with males incubating fertilized eggs in their mouths for nearly a week until they hatch. This is one of the most personable, playful jawfish species available, though it's a known jumper when startled, so a secure, tight-fitting lid is essential. It's considered reef safe with caution, generally leaving corals alone but may nip at smaller crustaceans and hermit crabs. It reaches up to 12cm, so a 115L tank suits it well.
 
💡 Highlights
🎨 Yellow Head With a Pale Blue-White Body: A charming, iconic jawfish
🏠 Elaborate Burrow Construction: Builds tunnels from sand, shells, and rubble
👀 "Spy Hopping" Behaviour: Bobs above its burrow, watching its surroundings
🥚 Documented Mouthbrooding: Males incubate eggs in their mouths
⚠️ A Known Jumper: A secure, tight-fitting lid is essential