Jawfish from Lembeh

I found this small jawfish (about 4cm, maybe a juvenile) out in the open on the sand.

Once it noticed me it went into panic mode and tried to make a burrow in the sand with it's tail.

Then it settled for a threat posture of wide open mouth. I can't seem to identify it in my books so need some help.

Can't help with the id, but some cool snaps... Nice!

Can't help with the id, but some cool snaps... Nice!

Thanks for looking Mshohman

I found this small jawfish (about 4cm, maybe a juvenile) out in the open on the sand.

Once it noticed me it went into panic mode and tried to make a burrow in the sand with it's tail.

Then it settled for a threat posture of wide open mouth. I can't seem to identify it in my books so need some help.

Hi Brian,

geez mate, that zoom function of yours really takes the depth of field out of your pics!

Very nice images though. . .

As for I.D., I certainly agree that it is some sort of Jawfish, and 2-4cm, as you say, would certainly make it small. . .

Hmmm,. . .I will have to take a short minute to ponder over this one. . . .

Bruce...

Hi Brian,

 

geez mate, that zoom function of yours really takes the depth of field out of your pics!

Very nice images though. . .

As for I.D., I certainly agree that it is some sort of Jawfish, and 2-4cm, as you say, would certainly make it small. . .

Hmmm,. . .I will have to take a short minute to ponder over this one. . . .

 

Bruce...

Bruce mate, that's long enough, what is it then?

DOF is reduced a lot with the close-up lenses, I can't recall how many I used on these shots, maybe it was two.

Hi Brian,

Well I searched high and low, and I did find a headshot photo that looks like yours, that was a Stalix histrio, in a Debelius book that I have on CD. However, all other photos of Stalix histrio that I could find (2) look nothing like the photos that you shot or the one in the Debelius book. There are other Stalix species, but I can't find any photos of them. They are generally small (<5cm) so the diminutive size may not mean a juvenile. If it is a S. histrio, it is very rare.

Cheers,

Marli

Hi Brian,

 

Well I searched high and low, and I did find a headshot photo that looks like yours, that was a Stalix histrio, in a Debelius book that I have on CD. However, all other photos of Stalix histrio that I could find (2) look nothing like the photos that you shot or the one in the Debelius book. There are other Stalix species, but I can't find any photos of them. They are generally small (<5cm) so the diminutive size may not mean a juvenile. If it is a S. histrio, it is very rare.

 

Cheers,

Marli

Thanks Marli. As you say the Google images for Stalix histrio don't look like mine. Fishbase states distribution as Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea and Japan. If they mean Red Sea to Japan, then it's still a possibility. Does it give a range in your book or say where the photo was taken?

Cheers

Brian

The image states "Indonesia". Sand bottom, much like Lembeh.

Cheers,

Marli

Here's a quote from Dr. Smith-Vaniz

"Your jawfish is a species of the genus Stalix. I revised the genus in 1989 when I described four new species of the then 12 total known species. Since then about six more undescribed species have been collected and I am in the process of writing another paper treating all of them. I have seen a few other photographs of the Lembeh Straits Stalix, which is probably most closely related to S. histrio (described from Japan). So far I have only seen photographs of this fish and no specimens have been collected to allow a detailed comparison.

William F. Smith-Vaniz, Ph.D.

Research Associate

Florida Museum of Natural History

University of Florida"

Adorable jawfish....in a creepy sort-of-way.

Great photo!