Head to head
Yellowhead Jawfish vs Watchman Goby
Yellowhead Jawfish
VS Watchman Goby
The yellowhead jawfish and watchman goby both live around a sandy burrow and drop into it at the first sign of danger, but one builds and owns its home while the other shares one with a pistol shrimp.
| Yellowhead Jawfish | Watchman Goby | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Opistognathus aurifrons | Cryptocentrus (genus) |
| Burrow | Digs and lines its own burrow with pebbles and shell fragments | Shares a burrow dug and maintained by a pistol shrimp |
| Burrow partner | None documented | A nearly blind pistol shrimp |
| Posture | Hovers tail-down above the entrance | Stands guard at the burrow entrance |
| Escape response | Backs in tail-first when startled | Darts in, alerting the shrimp through antenna contact |
| Parental care | The male carries the eggs in his mouth | Not specifically documented |
| Habitat | Sand and rubble of the western Atlantic and Caribbean | Sandy reef flats of the Indo-Pacific |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Yellowhead Jawfish vs Watchman Goby: common questions
Which fish builds its own burrow, the yellowhead jawfish or the watchman goby?
The yellowhead jawfish digs and lines its own burrow, while the watchman goby shares a burrow dug and maintained by a pistol shrimp.
Which has a burrow partner?
The watchman goby, which shares its burrow with a nearly blind pistol shrimp and acts as the lookout, while the yellowhead jawfish has no documented partner.
How does each fish escape danger?
The yellowhead jawfish backs into its burrow tail-first, while the watchman goby darts in, a movement the shrimp feels through an antenna kept in contact with the goby.