Variable Jawfish
Opistognathus variabilis
- Usual depth5–27 m
- Water temperature28–29 °C
- Best monthsMay, June, and November
- How commonRare
Photo credit: (c) Pauline Walsh Jacobson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 0 records
- February: 0 records
- March: 2 records
- April: 2 records
- May: 3 records
- June: 3 records
- July: 1 records
- August: 3 records
- September: 2 records
- October: 2 records
- November: 5 records
- December: 1 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 5–27 m · Deepest record: 27 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 28–29 °C
Names and classification
- English
- Variable Jawfish
Names in 2 more languages
- Japanese
- Shishidamaokuchiamadai, シシダマオオクチアマダイ
- Simplified Chinese
- 多彩後頜魚, 多彩後頜鰧, 後頜鱚, 狗旗仔
Similar species
Yellowhead jawfishOpistognathus aurifrons
Darwin JawfishOpistognathus darwiniensis
Dendritic JawfishOpistognathus dendriticus
Robust jawfishOpistognathus muscatensis
Birdled jawfishOpistognathus nigromarginatus
Finespotted jawfishOpistognathus punctatus
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 27 open-data records from 1978 to 2015.
- Species data updated November 5, 2026.
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