Ospitognathus albicaudatus is a brand new species of jawfish described from two specimens caught in the Andaman Sea. The aptly named White-tailed Jawfish is apparently endemic to the Fusilier Straits of the Andaman Islands and is closely related to O. variabilis.
Being isolated in a little corner spanning over much of O. variabilis‘ range, it is presumed that O. albicaudatus arose from allopatric speciation.
The coloration of the White-tailed Jawfish is chestnut overall, fading to a deep navy blue towards the tail which ends abruptly in white. The white-tail Jawfish may not be as pretty as its Atlantic cousins the Blue-spotted Jawfish or the Sail-fin Jawfish, but the stark white tail followed after the deep blue body is pretty unique. The coloration can probably change in intensity with mood, but the holotype photograph of a dead specimen clearly shows the pretty white tail that this fish is named after. If white caudal fins are your thing, be sure to look out for the new White-tailed Jawfish. It’s not likely to enter the trade due to it’s restricted range in the Andaman Sea though.
