Sick yellow headed jawfish?

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

I ordered a mated pair of yellow headed jawfish from KP aquatics a few weeks ago. The larger (the male?) hid for most of the past few weeks, rarely emerging*. Now he emerges during the day, hangs outside for several hours, but then goes back to the couple's burrow too.

 

As far as I can see, he has not eaten since delivery. She has a reasonably good appetite and I see her eating (freeze dried mysis syringed into the water flow) in my presence. But he won't visibly eat while I am around, even if I squirt food near him while he is sitting on the sand outside their den. (I usually squirt and leave the room, in the hopes that this will make him less skittish to eat.

 

 

Is it possible he is sick?

 

 

Anyone have experience with yellow headed jawfish sicknesses (I know blue headed jawfish, a fish from colder waters off CA/Baja vice the tropical carribean, have an identified species specific disorder). Are there any symptoms I should look for beyond what I can find in a basic aquarium book (I see nothing odd with him right now, and have chocked it up so far just to acclimation). If he is sick, what's the best way to handle it? (i.e. take him out and treat him with the usual range of medicines?).

 

Do people think, then, that I should stay put or that I should preemptively remove him and put him into a hospital tank.

 

* BIG caveat: he does not emerge when I am around; but I'm not of course watching the tank more than 3-4 hours a day, and there's plenty of evidence that he is actually out. But he's much less outgoing and active than the Mrs.

 

They are the first and only fish in this tank. Tank has some hitchhiking type inverts, sufficient live rock, and a 3" sandbed for them. Which they most certainly use, and which I'll probably increase in the long run

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

Never mind. I knocked over a powerhead, spewing out and disrupting a bit of the sandbed.

 

This was enough to disturb them; they both swim out, and were hanging out on the sand as of this morning. I guess they'll rebuild today.

 

This gave me the opportunity to see very clearly that both of them are eating. But, the larger "male" not as aggressively as the "female". Before, I would only see one fish jump out of the burrow. I suppose they took turns going at the food.

Edited October 6, 2017 by KingOfAll_Tyrants

[Coral Hind]

Sounds like all is well. I like happy endings. The species are shy eaters but I'm sure once he settles in some you will see more of him.