Last week we featured the very rare Opistognathus lonchurus, more commonly known as the Caribbean Sailfin Jawfish. Now if you’re wondering why these beauties aren’t showing up in your local fish store, you could blame it on their rarity and their aptitude for deeper waters.
Apparently these factors are not deterring the Japanese fish stores from getting their fins on these amazing jawfishes. Shown below is a tub o’ jawfish which is just a sample of what they obtained from their recent Caribbean shipment.
Leave it to the Japanese to obtain not one, but 5 of these sailfin jawfishes. We understand that there’s more being offered for sale in the same shop, but the photograph on the left is just amazing enough as it is. The shipment also boasts of an even rarer species. The little black fish with the spade-shaped tail is Lonchopisthus micrognathus, the swordtail Jawfish. With such an impressive name, the black beauty is not well known. Sharing the same locale as the Sailfin Jawfish, the swordtail Jawfish comes from the waters of the Western Atlantic.
Also part of the impressive shipment is a pearly jawfish. While not at all rare to many hobbyists worldwide, this little guy has a slight aberration on it’s forehead. A little white halo sits on top of its otherwise yellow nape. When the subject of rare fish is brought up, few can rival the aggressive importing powers that is Japan, and we hope to see more installations in the future.
