Not busy with baby stuff like many fathers, the males of this species carry their babies in their mouths and have to fast during the incubation period.
The great task of hatching the eggs of this jawfish is given to the male. These photos were taken in the waters off Cayman Island, Caribbean.
To take these photos, Dr. Peter Allinson had to dive to a depth of 18m in the waters of Cayman Island, Caribbean.
This species usually only sticks its head and upper body out of the burrow, rarely leaving the burrow.
Dr. Alllinson had to wait 20 minutes before capturing the father fish opening his mouth to get oxygen to the fry.
After the mother fish lays eggs, the father will fertilize the eggs and hold the eggs in his mouth to protect the eggs until it hatches.
During this time, the male is not fed and he loses significant weight during incubation.
After the fry hatch, the male has time to eat and recover.
