Frogfish
frogfish
Warty frogfish
Antennarius maculatus
About
The warty frogfish is a lumpy, slow-moving ambush hunter that looks more like a sponge-covered rock than a fish. It relies on patience and disguise rather than speed to catch a meal.
Also known as: antennarius maculatus, clown anglerfish, largespotted angler, wartskin angler, wartskin frogfish, warty anglerfish
- Length
- 15 cm
- Depth
- up to 15 m
How to tell it apart
Heavily spotted individuals are easily mistaken for the closely related Antennarius pictus. Check for red or orange edges on all the fins, and sometimes a small spur of the saddle marking starting just behind the eye, both marks the lookalike species lacks.
Appearance
This frogfish has a rounded, soft, stretchy body covered in small wart-like bumps. Its large mouth juts forward and can open wide enough to swallow prey close to its own size. Colour is extremely variable, ranging from white through cream, pink, yellow, red, and brown to black, often patterned with dark circular spots and saddle-shaped markings. Its first dorsal spine is modified into a slender fishing-rod-like lure, tipped with a small, fish-shaped esca in pinkish or brownish tones. It grows up to about 15 cm long.
Habitat
It lives on sheltered rocky and coral reefs across the tropical Indo-Pacific, from the central Indian Ocean to the western Pacific. Adults are often found resting on or near sponges, in water no deeper than about 15 m.
Is it dangerous?
harmless
Did you know?
Young warty frogfish look so much like nudibranch sea slugs that they can crawl openly across the reef in daylight without being noticed as fish.
Log it in Into the Blue
Describe what you saw and we name it, then keep every species you find in your Oceandex.
