Reef Fish
Frogfish
Antennariidae · Bony fish — family Antennariidae (frogfishes, order Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes); family-level overview of roughly 50 species
Finding the frogfish is the dive. Some fifty species of these globular anglerfishes sit motionless for days impersonating sponges, tunicates, algae-covered rock, or — in the hairy frogfish's case — a tuft of drifting weed, and even hand-sized individuals vanish against the right background. The first dorsal spine has evolved into a fishing rod tipped with a lure, a wriggling worm shape in some species and a shrimp shape in others, twitched above the mouth to call prey in. The strike is among the fastest feeding movements measured in fishes, the mouth ballooning open in a few milliseconds to inhale fish nearly the hunter's own length. Frogfishes walk rather than swim, ambling on limb-like pectoral fins. Muck guides track individuals for weeks, so ask what the site is holding.
Où et quand en observer un
« Résident » signifie que la plupart des plongées sur ce site permettent de les observer ; « saisonnier » signifie qu'ils sont présents de manière fiable durant les mois indiqués ; tout le reste est un bonus, pas une certitude.
| Destination | Fiabilité | Mois | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bali & Nusa PenidaIndonesia | Resident — seen on most dives | Toute l'année | |
| Lembeh StraitIndonesia | Resident — seen on most dives | Toute l'année | |
| AnilaoPhilippines | Resident — seen on most dives | Toute l'année | |
| Banda Sea & AmbonIndonesia | Resident — seen on most dives | Toute l'année | |
| Dumaguete, Dauin & Apo IslandPhilippines | Resident — seen on most dives | Toute l'année | |
| BonaireBonaire | Occasional | Toute l'année |
Meilleur mois, en un coup d'œil
Les comprendre
Habitat: Sponges, rubble, wreck surfaces, jetty piles, and weed on both muck slopes and coral reefs; the sargassumfish drifts at the surface in floating weed.
Aire de répartition: Warm seas worldwide; greatest variety in the Coral Triangle, with the longlure frogfish standing in across the Caribbean.
Comportement: Sits motionless for days matching a sponge or weed tuft, twitching a modified dorsal-spine fishing rod and lure above the mouth; walks on limb-like pectoral fins rather than swimming.
Régime alimentaire: Fishes and crustaceans lured within range and inhaled whole, including prey nearly the frogfish's own length.
Taille: généralement autour de 0.1 m; documenté jusqu'à 0.4 m (family range in total length; most diver-found species run 5–20 cm, the giant frogfish to about 40 cm).
Comment se comporter avec lui
Never move a frogfish or its perch for a cleaner shot, and skip repeated strobe volleys at close range; a relocated ambusher loses its hunting spot.
Conservation
Few species have been formally assessed; the practical threats are habitat loss on muck coastlines and collection for aquaria.
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