Frogfish are a family, Antennariidae, of anglerfish. They are found in tropical and subtropical oceans and seas around the world.

They are small fish with large globose heads. They can be distinguished from other anglerfish by the three extended dorsal fin spines on their heads. They are mostly benthic fishes that are well camouflaged; the first dorsal spine is modified as a fishing lure to attract prey. The lure consists of the illicium (the spine) and the esca (the bait). What makes frogfish so unique is that unlike other fish they lack the ability to conventionally swim, instead it "walks" on its fins, crawling along the sea floor.

The sargassumfish, Histrio histrio, is unique among frogfish in that it is endemic to and clings on floating Sargassum weed.

Species

• Genus Allenichthys
• Glauert's anglerfish, Allenichthys glauerti (Whitley, 1944).
• Genus Antennarius
• Tail-jet frogfish, Antennarius analis (Schultz, 1957).
• Roughbar frogfish, Antennarius avalonis Jordan & Starks, 1907.
• Island frogfish, Antennarius bermudensis Schultz, 1957.
• Brackishwater frogfish, Antennarius biocellatus (Cuvier, 1817).
• Scarlet frogfish, Antennarius coccineus (Lesson, 1831).
• Commerson's frogfish, Antennarius commerson (Latreille, 1804).
• New Guinean frogfish, Antennarius dorehensis Bleeker, 1859.
• Side-jet frogfish, Antennarius duescus Snyder, 1904.
• Shaggy angler, Antennarius hispidus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801).
• Indian frogfish, Antennarius indicus Schultz, 1964.
• Warty frogfish, Antennarius maculatus (Desjardins, 1840).
• Longlure frogfish, Antennarius multiocellatus (Valenciennes, 1837).
• Spotfin frogfish, Antennarius nummifer (Cuvier, 1817).
• Ocellated frogfish, Antennarius ocellatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801).
• Antennarius pardalis (Valenciennes, 1837).
• Dwarf frogfish, Antennarius pauciradiatus Schultz, 1957.
• Painted frogfish, Antennarius pictus (Valenciennes, 1837).
• Singlespot frogfish, Antennarius radiosus Garman, 1896.
• Randall's frogfish, Antennarius randalli Allen, 1970.
• Spiny-tufted frogfish, Antennarius rosaceus Smith & Radcliffe, 1912.
• Bloody frogfish, Antennarius sanguineus Gill, 1863.
• Calico frogfish, Antennarius sarasa Tanaka, 1916.
• Antennarius scriptissimus Jordan, 1902.
• Senegalese frogfish, Antennarius senegalensis Cadenat, 1959.
• Striated frogfish, Antennarius striatus (Shaw, 1794).
• Genus Antennatus
• Antennatus flagellatus Ohnishi, Iwata & Hiramatsu, 1997.
• Antennatus linearis Randall & Holcom, 2001.
• Bandtail frogfish, Antennatus strigatus (Gill, 1863).
• Tuberculated frogfish, Antennatus tuberosus (Cuvier, 1817).
• Genus Echinophryne
• Prickly anglerfish, Echinophryne crassispina McCulloch & Waite, 1918.
• Long-spined anglerfish, Echinophryne mitchellii (Morton, 1897).
• Echinophryne reynoldsi Pietsch & Kuiter, 1984.
• Genus Histiophryne
• Histiophryne bougainvilli (Valenciennes, 1837).
• Cryptic anglerfish, Histiophryne cryptacanthus (Weber, 1913).
• Genus Histrio
• Sargassumfish, Histrio histrio (Linnaeus, 1758).
• Genus Kuiterichthys
• Rough anglerfish, Kuiterichthys furcipilis (Cuvier, 1817).
• Genus Lophiocharon
• Marble-mouthed frogfish, Lophiocharon lithinostomus (Jordan & Richardson, 1908).
• Three-spot frogfish, Lophiocharon trisignatus (Richardson, 1844).
• Common name unknown, Lophiocharon hutchinsi (TW Pietsch, 2004)
• Genus Nudiantennarius
• Deepwater frogfish, Nudiantennarius subteres (Smith & Radcliffe, 1912).
• Genus Phyllophryne
• Smooth anglerfish, Phyllophryne scortea (McCulloch & Waite, 1918).
• Genus Rhycherus
• Tasselled anglerfish, Rhycherus filamentosus (Castelnau, 1872).
• Rhycherus gloveri Pietsch, 1984.
• Genus Tathicarpus
• Butler's frogfish, Tathicarpus butleri Ogilby, 1907.

josh weiss frogfish The frogfish is known to have the fastest movement in the animal kingdom with a bite that has been photographed at high speed to take only 1/6000 of a second.

Gallery

External links

• Tree of Life - Antennariidae
• Frogfishes in Fishbase
• Information about all the frogfish-species with photos and illustrations
• Antennariidae photo gallery from Bali

References