{"id":17555,"date":"2010-01-09T03:22:33","date_gmt":"2010-01-09T03:22:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwphoto.onpressidium.com\/book\/frogfish\/"},"modified":"2025-08-15T06:57:20","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T06:57:20","slug":"frogfish","status":"publish","type":"book","link":"https:\/\/www.uwphotographyguide.com\/book\/underwater-photography-guide\/marine-life\/frogfish\/","title":{"rendered":"Frogfish"},"content":{"rendered":"

Frogfish <\/strong>are amongst my favorite critters<\/a> to look for underwater. They are so well camouflaged and adapted to their immediate surroundings, that they are rarely detected. Often called grotesque, frogfish were declared \u201cThe spawn of Satan\u201d by the mayor of Bitung, Indonesia.<\/p>\n

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Frogfish (Frog fish, frogfishes) are very misunderstood and very little is known about this unique underwater lie-in-wait predator. The hairy frogfish<\/strong>, Antennarius striatus<\/em>, is a special type of frogfish that is one of the most popular subjects for underwater photographers.<\/p>\n

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Frogfish Habitats and Range<\/h2>\n

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The twelve genera of Antennaridae <\/em>(antennae bearing) Frogfish are found nearly worldwide but tend to be bunched as species in different oceans. This article highlights the frogfish of the info-pacific, found in the genus Antennarius<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The Giant frogfish, Antennarius commersoni<\/em>, has a large range and can be found throughout the tropical Pacific, Eastern Atlantic, Eastern Pacific, Hawaii (Kona<\/a>), Indian Ocean, Japan, Red Sea, Tropical Australia, Western Atlantic, Indonesia and Asia. Frogfish take on many different color forms throughout their lifecycle.<\/p>\n

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Frogfish Lifecycle, Size and Colorations<\/h2>\n

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The complete length of the lifecycle of an individual is unknown outside of captivity. The size can range anywhere from 1\/8 inch to 22 inches. As a juvenile the Giant frogfish may be white or yellow and saddled with reddish colored patches, often misidentified underwater as a clown frogfish. But as the individual grows towards the sex phase the colors can shift from pink, yellow, black, beige, green and more, often sporting scab like appendages. But all frogfish are speculated to have a chameleon like ability with some even growing hair like appendages.<\/p>\n

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Frogfish with lure, A. maculatus<\/em>, waiting for its prey, Photo by Mike Bartick.<\/p>\n

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Frogfish – master of Camouflage<\/h2>\n

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Large Frogfish and a sponge. I can’t stop looking at this photo. Well, I’m still not convinced that it is not two frogfish! Photo by Andrew Taylor in Mozambique with an Olympus 7070 with a wide-angle lens<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Frogfish Behavior – Predation<\/h2>\n

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Frogfish, also known as anglerfish, are lie-in-wait predators. They are equipped with a specialized lure called an Esca. The Illicium is the fishing rod appendage and the Esca is the bait, also specialized. Using its fishing rod and lure the frogfish will dangle the bait in front of its head. An unsuspecting passerby will see the lure and become excited, swimming towards a seemingly easy meal, the predator becomes the prey. The frogfish is a carnivore – its diet is small fish.<\/p>\n

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Frogfish move very slowly but ironically, frogfish have the fastest strike speed of any other animal on earth. They ambulate by gulping water with its massive mouth. Then forcing the water through it\u2019s gills the frogfish moves about the reef or bottom. The body move\u2019s very little as the frogfish huffs and puffs its way through the water column.<\/p>\n

Are Frogfish Poisonous?<\/h2>\n

The majority of frogfish, such as the hairy frogfish, are not poisonous. There are a few species of toadfish that are poisonous, in the family Batrachoididae – but those are not frogfish. Frogfish are not known to taste well, you should not eat them.<\/p>\n

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Mating frogfishes, A. maculatus<\/em>, photo by Mike Bartick.<\/p>\n

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The best places to find frogfish underwater are:<\/em><\/h3>\n