Bluespotted jawfish = fish eater?

Chelsey · Dec 6, 2008

I've done some reading on bluespots and I've seen two different occassions where they've eaten or tried to eat fish, one was a randall's goby and the other a greenbanded goby. I purchased a bluespotted jawfish tonight that had been at the LFS for a few months and he's currently in QT. I've got two different tanks I could put him in, both with a DSB. I could put him in my 100 gallon cube with larger fish, but I would really like to put him in my HQI nano that is home to a pair of snowflake clowns. If he eats my snowflakes I will be VERY upset. The snowflakes are 1.5-2". Should I be worried about him eating them?

fishes2889 · Dec 6, 2008

Bluespot eating fish?!?! Never heard of such a thing. Maybe defending its burrow and biting the other fish or fishes but i dont think they prey on small fish. I have a small black clown and sixline in my 20g, the bluespot is 4inches and the biggest in the tank. I see daily aggression when the sixline gets too close to the burrow, but the sixline is figuring out its not a good idea to mess with him.

IMO you should be ok in such a large tank since i only have a 20g.

Reefers · Dec 13, 2008

The blue spot jawfish is one of my favorite fish and I have kept them for a very long time. I have had them in a tank with neon gobies and baby bangaiis. As already said, they can be fairly protective of their "home", but eating other fish??? never seen it and find it very hard to believe.

sleeper · Dec 13, 2008

I think clowns can pretty much take care of themselves. They are hardy enough to take a punch, but usually prefer to dish it out rather than take it!

droblack · Dec 13, 2008

You have nothing to worry about IMO. Have had a couple of Bluespots over the years, never known of one to eat another fish. They will spit sand at other fish though; hilarious!

paintballer768 · Dec 13, 2008

You said the jawfish had problems with 2 different types of goby. Its possible they had a housing conflict or something like that. I would only guess they could be aggressive to something stealing their den/home/whatever you want to call it.

Fishhead Junkie · Dec 14, 2008

That's so unlikely. Jawfish are just territorial, so yes they can be aggressive towards other fish, but if the fish is dumb enough to keep going near or into a jawfish's burrow, it probably deserves what it gets.

I've got a yellow headed jawfish and my diamond goby and watchmen gobies dislike him very very much. They chase him away at will and he just takes it, or tries to jump over my back wall into the sump to live until I snatch him back out.

Steve

ps..but if you are really worried, I'll take that bluespot off your hands for free..:smile:

Chelsey · Dec 14, 2008

The bluespot (Kermit) is in with the snowflakes and plays nice with them. He's a super cool critter and I'm fortunate that I was able to find him. He eats anything that hits the water: flake, pellets, frozen, etc. He's not as shy now that he's settled in, though he does like to change his burrow frequently!