Frogfish
frogfish
Tasselled Anglerfish
Rhycherus filamentosus
About
The tasselled anglerfish looks less like a fish than a clump of drifting red algae. It grows to about 23 cm and spends its life sitting still on the seabed, waiting for prey to wander too close.
Also known as: tasselled angler fish, tasselled frogfish, tasselled angler
- Length
- 23 cm
- Depth
- up to 60 m
How to tell it apart
Other frogfish in the region have smoother, less hairy skin. The thick coat of algae-like filaments over the whole body is the giveaway for this species.
Appearance
This frogfish has a squat, rounded body with eyes on the sides of its head and a wide mouth that tilts upward. Its skin is covered in threads and filaments that look like fronds of red algae. The base colour is reddish-brown, broken up by vertical bars and patches of dark and pale brown, with a paler underside. A short, slender rod tipped with a small white worm-like lure sits above the mouth.
Habitat
Found only off southern Australia, on reefs from shallow water down to about 60 m. It sits on the seabed rather than swimming, often tucked among rocks or weed where its shaggy skin blends in.
Log it in Into the Blue
Describe what you saw and we name it, then keep every species you find in your Oceandex.
