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Inhabitants of Bonaire's reefs are often featured in award winning photographs, and this photo of a yellowhead jawfish recently won first place in Rondale's "Scuba Diving" photo competition. The photographer, Julie Morgan, photo pro at Photo Adventures at the Harbour Village Resort, considers this little fellow a personal friend since she has been visiting him and his mate regularly since last July. Relatively little is known about these fascinating creatures so Julie is in the process of writing an article on "her" jawfish for publication in Ocean International magazine.
Jawfish are one of only two western Atlantic families (jawfish and cardinal fish) to practice oral brooding. The male jawfish incubates fertilized eggs in his mouth, periodically "churning" them (spitting them out and sucking them back in) to aerate and mix the eggs. If you look closely at the eggs in this picture, you can see the dark eyes of the embryos, which means that they are almost ready for release. Since the brooding male is especially wary of visitors and will retreat back into his burrow, getting a shot like this takes time and patience as well as skill. Yellowhead jawfish--with or without eggs--are not uncommon in Bonaire. So, as you swim over those sandy patches on your way to the reef, keep an eye out for these charming little creatures with the big eyes and big mouths. Story by Laura Buchbinder
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