Why do fish "yawn?"

[airborne_angler]

  I have been noticing some bluegill in the shallows lately occasionally "Yawning",I saw a Bass do it to once before,any Idea why they might do this and whats the significance of it?

[KU_Bassmaster.]

I actually think it's because they are eating something or have just ate something and they are streching their jaws out kind of like a snake.  I noticed this while bed fishing this spring.  a bass would take my bait in, I wouldn't set the hook in time, and then it would circle the bed "yawning".

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I have 1 1lb 6 oz Oscar in  125 gallon tank and he yawns all the time.  I think it serves the same purpose as it does with us.  Yawning and stretching increase blood circulation.  I also think it might bring a good amount of oxygen across the gill plates.  But what do I know???  lol

[kirk]

You actually WEIGH your aquarium fish?     :o

falls on floor.

First I have come across that in 20 yrs of keeping aquariums.  So, I gotta ask, how long is a 1lb 6oz Oscar?  I have seen them up to 14" or so.   I currently keep african cichlids (Frontosa)

I notice my fish yawn quite frequently.  Amazing how large some of their mouths are compared to body size.  I suppose I would be blown away by a largemouth yawning.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

But of course!!!  We catch him a couple times each winter when things get tough.  We have what we call the "house" rod.  It's the last 2 1/2 feet of a 7wgt fly rod w/ a shimano ax/uls reel.  I weigh him when we catch him just to see his yr to yr growth and although he hasnt gained or grown in about 4 years, it's just another way to ensure he's still healthy.

[Will]

I am also going to guess they are either eating something or it serves some purpose of breathing.

[Muddpuppy]

They probably are yawning from haveing to get up a 4:00 am due to boat traffic.

I am guessing that it helps push water thru their gills especially when they are not moveing. I know I have watched them in aquariams at a local zoo and it seems like they do it at a regular rate. And when they are out of water they open and close their mouths more frequently.

I used to have an Oscar it wasn't near as large as yours but one night the power went out, and some how he jumped out of the tank. So I am sitting in the house in the dark with something is going thump thump thump in the same room and I can't find a flashlight. Finally located some matches and put him back in time, but it was kind of creepy.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I think mudpuppy has the closest guess yet.  My oscar yawns frequently, mostly , it seems, to move water by the gills but he also does it while eating.  If I feed him pellets (as opposed to feeder fish & crays) he crushes them in his throat and after he swallows he does the yawn thing and it expels leftover pellet dust out his gill plates.  (thats why pellets make for a dirty tank eventually (too much rotting food waste in the gravel).

[fishingrulz]

maybe he yawns when he eats pellets because they are hard and he is grinding them on his teeth to try and crush it up.

ohh man all this talk about yawning is making me yawn lol i must have yawned three times reading this board lol

[Yankee_lake]

whats an oscar

[Jakesbuds]

The Oscar fish's scientific name is Astornotus ocellatus. Astronotus means being marked with a star on it"s back. ocellatus means bearing an ocellatus marked, or "eye spot." Oscar fish are in the animal kingdom and are classed as a bony fish.

The Oscar fish are found in South America and have accidently spread to Florida. They live in fresh water and are in subtropic and tropic waters. The Oscar fish are in the Cichlid family. Cichlids differ in size, body shape, coloration, and breeding habits.

The one LBH has sounds quite a bit bigger than any i have seen . . i think its great you weigh it every winter too!!!

[fishinfool]

I've been told that the "yawning" of a fish is done after they eat something. Can't remember why but just something i was told.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

fishingrulz-  the oscar chews his food in his throat with "crushers" (just like larry largemouth), he has no teeth.  then he expels whats leftover through his gills

[Muddpuppy]

Low Budget: Your Oscar hasn't out grown it's tank, has it? The guy I got mine from had a huge one, it has been years ago and I don't remember it's weight if he did weigh it. I really don't think he wanted to handle it anymore than absolutly neccesary. He had a 250 or 300 gal. tank made to keep it in. I know he had a vacume system to clean alot of the tanks with.  He told me that they will grow to fit their surroundings. He also had a (legaly permitted) genuine meat eatting piranha. It was one of just a very few allowed in the country back then. This was about 1980 and some how he had aquired it before a restriction, a collector or something like. He finally had to open a pet store to support his pet habit. But the Oscar is a really neat fish. We had to feed mostly live fish or red meat since there wasn't alot of high quality foods avaliable around here back then.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Muddpuppy- I had him in a 30 gal then a 55 gal then an 80 gal.  I n each tank, he would grow till he was just big enough to still be able to turn around.  Now he's in this monster tank and he has pretty much maxxed bout on growing.  He is by far the biggest Oscar I've seen yet.  I have seen many close to his size though.

 Being 9 yrs old now, I think he is definately done!  

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

ps- an Oscars slime coat makes a pickerel look dry!  It's like snot!

[Chris]

Bass yawn when they are about to feed and after they feed to turn the baitfish around head first.

[fishingrulz]

maybe they aren't yawning at all maybe they are just rotating or moving the food they just ate? i don't really know i'm just using my common sense as best i can