Castelnau'S Jawfish

This species is distinguished by the following characters: elongated supramaxilla and posterior end of maxilla produced as a thin flexible lamina; upper jaw's inner lining and adjacent membranes with one or two conspicuous black stripes; dorsal half of dorsal fin usually dark except for narrow pale margin, remainder of fin pale and often with 8 or 9 evenly spaced dark blotches that extend onto basal fourth to third of fin and slightly onto dorsum; D XI,14; body with about 90-11 0 oblique scale rows; total gill rakers 28-35 (Ref. 81517).

Employ mouthbrooding to care for their young (Ref. 240).

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 14

Inhabits open sand and rubble substrates in about 20-25 meters (Ref. 48637). May be found in depths greater than 100 m (Ref. 559). Mouthbrooders (Ref. 240).

分布於印度-西太平洋區，由日本南部至印尼海域。台灣產於南部、小琉球及澎湖等海域。

少見魚種。

體延長而側扁。頭大。吻鈍。眼大。口大；上頜後緣尖突， 超越眼後緣後方，且延伸過鰓蓋後緣；頜齒犬齒狀； 鋤骨具小齒。鰓耙數11-12+18-20。體被圓鱗，頭部無鱗；側線不完全，延伸達第3背鰭軟條下方, 接近背鰭基部處。背鰭單一，硬棘部基底較軟條部基底長，鰭條為XI+13-14；臀鰭鰭條為II+14-15；背鰭及臀鰭硬棘皆弱，末端左右不分枝；胸鰭圓形；腹鰭略延長呈尖形；尾鰭後緣圓形。體及頭部呈淡黃褐色，腹面淡色；體側上半部具二條不規則之縱紋。背鰭、 臀鰭及尾鰭暗褐色或稍淡，背鰭基部另具7-9個黑斑塊；腹鰭淡黃褐色而具暗色緣。

主要棲息於沿海石礫底水域，雄性魚有築巢及口孵魚卵的習性。以底棲甲殼類及小魚為食。