Determine the sex of Blue Spotted Jawfish

[reefcam]

I recently purchased 4 Blue Spotted Jawfish to hopefully be able to breed them in the future. After getting the fish and now they are happily making holes everywhere in the tank, my LFS tells me that they may all be male Jawfish.

So, how do I determine if I have male or female, or will they change sex like Clowns do?

Thanks

[FMarini]

HI:
No offense, Did you do happen to do a search here for jawfish sexing? i recall discussions about this eariler.
Also please check the breeders registry, I recall pearly jawfish breeding reports there.
frank

[reefcam]

No offense taken.

I did do exhaustive search on Jawfish and have lots of info on Jawfish breeding, but nothing on determining the sex of the Jawfish. I even read the articles on the reefkeeping's web site, breeders registry and all.

I also read that the Pearl Jaws are mouth brooders (like the bangaiis) and the Blue Spotted are egg layers. This info came from a MO site. Can't remember.

My LFS was informed by their distributor that I may have all male and are looking into this matter as well. They said the female may look completely different than the male.

So here I am doing my own research to find lots on the Pearly Jaws. So do the Blues have the same behavior as the Peraly?

Thanks
Jim

[FMarini]

Hi Jim:
glad you had a chance to research this. So i looked thru all my reference material on fish breeding and i also found NO info on sexing these fish.

However in regards to your Q? yes the blue spotted jaws act similarly to the peraly jaws. Also scott michaels say you can have mulitple animals in one tank, to increase your odds in getting pairs. I would guess since you have 4 animal you must hav a pair (i mean how unlikely would it be to only have 4 of the same sex).

So i would just keep feeding the fish, give them space and according to Micheals the fish will pair up. Males carry the eggs.

good luck
frank

[reefcam]

Thanks Frank. Hopefully they will pair up. My goal is to breed these guys and start having captive raised Blue spots. They cost me a pretty arm and leg.

The jaw fish are in the tank by themselves, along with a baby Mandarin fish that was there from early on. But that's all the fish I'm putting in the tank. Anything that upsets the Jaws leaves immediately.

I'll let you know if I have any success.

Thanks
Jim

[JD52]

The only info I could find on blue spots was tht the males tend to undergo color changes at breeding time. From the book The Tropical Marine Fish survival manual by Gordon Kay, Wich also sates that they are mouth brooders like yellowheads the male incubates the eggs. Good luck breeding them, I have two yellowheads that have had eggs twice so far, both aborted, in my research Ive found that its not unusuall for young breeders to abort their first few attempts, so dont get discouraged.... Feed the fry rotifers till they morph, then baby brine shrimp soaked in Selcon or the like... HTH

[reefcam]

Thanks. I'll keep them going. Wonder if anyone has try to cross breed these little guys? A pearly and a blue spot... Guess I wait until these guys breed first.