Do Blue Spotted Jawfish sleep?

[40B Knasty]

Everyday my BSJ is awake 24/7. When all the other fish go to sleep at 7:30PM. When ALL the lights are off on the tank and I am watching TV throughout the night. This guy is up swimming the entire tank freely. Does anyone else have this same experience? I even feed him at 3AM. I can't show a video or pics because it would be to dark. I even went and bought a nightlight for him!

 

[eatbreakfast]

Jawfish should be staying in their burrow at night and pulling a shell over the opening. If he is moving around after lights out either he doesn't feel secure in his burrow, in which case add more rubble for him, or he is being kicked out, that often is caused by a serpent or brittle star.

 

[40B Knasty]

Jawfish should be staying in their burrow at night and pulling a shell over the opening. If he is moving around after lights out either he doesn't feel secure in his burrow, in which case add more rubble for him, or he is being kicked out, that often is caused by a serpent or brittle star.

I must have a special case, because there is not a single star in my tank. I am going to pick up another 1/2lb of rubble rock. That was on the to do list for today or tomorrow.
The thing I don't get is if he in his burrow for the day with his head sticking out when others are swimming. He does come out here and there and not just for food. If he didn't feel secure at night. Why would he swim the tank at night freely when everyone is sleeping. To me it seems more like a case of when the parents are away the kids will play kind of situation. He is a smart fish and new. I will give an update if the extra rock helps.
But I still want to know if anyone else is having this same situation. It's not an issue. He loves coming up to the glass and chilling when I sit down next to him.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Any of the jawfish I've kept, and I've had a colony of tigers, a colony of pearly heads, dusky jaws at various times, a mega mouth, bsj at various times, and a swordtail, all did the same thing at night. They would take a shell, rock, or coral skeleton and cover their burrow. Talking with others that have had jaws all report the same behavior. The only times they would be out at night is if they were evicted from their burrow or their burrow collapsed.

 

[40B Knasty]

Any of the jawfish I've kept, and I've had a colony of tigers, a colony of pearly heads, dusky jaws at various times, a mega mouth, bsj at various times, and a swordtail, all did the same thing at night. They would take a shell, rock, or coral skeleton and cover their burrow. Talking with others that have had jaws all report the same behavior. The only times they would be out at night is if they were evicted from their burrow or their burrow collapsed.

Well now you have a different story to tell haha. There is nothing evicting him. No crabs, fish, star fish, or snails. His home is under a 6lbs piece of rock. So that isn't collapsing anytime soon. There is 4 exits/entrances. He use 2 mainly. The only fish that would come close to trying to get in the hole is the Dartfish, but he has his own home on the far right of the tank. Mandarin sleeps in the back left with the Carberryi. Flame takes the cave to the right. Wrasse is in the sand front right corner. He basically just swims around. Goes back to his home every 2 minutes. Then comes back out and plays around.

 

[eatbreakfast]

So he just excavated under the rock? Give him more rubble. Their saliva is viscous and helps keep rubble in place. They build decently elaborate burrows.

 

[40B Knasty]

So he just excavated under the rock? Give him more rubble. Their saliva is viscous and helps keep rubble in place. They build decently elaborate burrows.

I dug out the front 2 holes. He made a 3rd. In between. There is one that goes to the back left of the rock where the sand is piled up left of the rock. Then every once and awhile he digs one open to the right. The right one is in this video a few days after getting him, but he has since let it fill in. He actually dug the hole and went to the back left hole. Completely missing the ones I dug out for him. Then he did some digging underneath. Probably seen it was a nice big cavern underneath. Now chills in the front two holes.

 

[bubbaque]

I use to see mine up all night and swim around and I believe it's because he wasn't happy with it's current burrow, as it's searching for a new place.

Mine has seemed to settle and now at night covers his burrow with something.

 

[40B Knasty]

He now has an extra 1/2 lb pile of rubble rock added to the 1/4lb already given. He is probably overwhelmed, but if he accepts it. He will be busy tonight working or sleeping finally!

 

[rockstarta78]

Interesting. Never heard BSJ pacing all night. Keep us posted of he sleeps tonight. Or maybe your fish is insomniac like some of us[emoji16]

 

[40B Knasty]

So I put an extra 1/2lb of rubble rock. He has made himself a nicer entrance for the two holes. He has stopped swimming around the past 2 nights from what I noticed. Still has not covered the entrances and hit the hay yet, but I think it may happen. There is plenty of extra rubble rock that he hasn't used yet.

 

[40B Knasty]

He has been busy. Maybe tonight is the night!

 

[luckyazn6]

Mines been found out for months. Use to be every other night. Now I don't catch him as much but he had free reign at night. During the day he just chills, moves between homes. He only used a shell for like a couple weeks. Now he took and buried the shell somewhere