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Identification Key Frogfishes

Tropical Australia
(Great Barrier Reef, Timor Sea, Gulf of Carpentaria, Ningaloo)

All frogfish species listed here are living in the tropical Australia and are not striped.
For striped frogfishes living in the tropical Australia click here.
For a overwiew of all frogfishes from this area click here.

Size and frequency

These frogfishes are common in tropical Australia and larger than 10cm:

Antennarius commerson and Antennarius pictus are the frogfishes most commenly found in Australia. They like to sit on exposed areas and are quite large. Unfortunately they both belong to the so called Pictus-group and it is quite difficult to distinguish them. Means of identification for frogfishes of the Antennarius pictus group.

Antennarius commerson (Giant frogfish)

		Information 30cm

Antennarius pictus (Painted frogfish)

		Information 10-16cm

These frogfishes are common in tropical Australia and are smaller than 10cm:

Abantennarius dorehensis, Abantennarius coccineus and Abantennarius nummifer all belong to the genus Abantennarius (formerly Antennatus) and are difficult to distinguish from each other. Here some characteristics that might help with an identification:

Abantennarius dorehensis - the esca on the lure points towards the belly and is very small.
Abantennarius coccineus - Lacks distinct tail base (dorsal and anal fins end at base of tail fin)
Abantennarius nummifer - has a large darkly pigmented basidorsal spot. The lure can have different shapes, but is mostly small and most of the time round but sometimes with filaments and dark swellings.

Abantennarius dorehensis (New Guinea Frogfish)

		Information 2.5-5cm

Abantennarius coccineus (Freckled frogfish)

		Information 9-13cm

Abantennarius nummifer (Spotfin frogfish)

		Information 10cm

These frogfishes are uncommon in tropical Australia:

Allenichthys glauerti (Glauert's Frogfish - Glauert Anglerfisch)

		Information 19cm

Abantennarius rosaceus has a long 2nd spine with small bushes.

Abantennarius rosaceus (Rosy frogfish, Spiny-tufted Frogfish)

		Information 4cm

Antennatus tuberosus shows honeycomb patterns on its skin, its color is yellow, redish and pink and it has a striped tail.

Antennatus tuberosus (Bandfin frogfish)

		Information 7cm

Lophiocharon hutchinsi (Hutchins' Anglerfish)

		Information 5cm

Histiophryne cryptacanthus is characterized by the white blotches all over its body. Some have small close-set ocelli with a white margin all over their body. Some green blotches.

Histiophryne cryptacanthus (Cryptic Frogfish)

		Information 9cm

Histiophryne maggiewalker is only known from Queensland and has a slightly larger esca than other Histiophryne species.

Histiophryne maggiewalker (Maggiewalker Frogfish)

		Information 5-6cm
Coloration only known from preserved specimens (creamy, black)

Lophiocharon trisignatus differs from other frogfishes by the many ocelli (eye spots) on the tail which seem to be nearly transparent.

Lophiocharon trisignatus (Three-Spot Frogfish)

		Information 14cm (18cm?)

Tathicarpus butleri has a long rod and transparent membranes between the fins.

Tathicarpus butleri (Butler's Frogfish)

		Information 10-12cm

This identification key is only for species of the subfamily Antennariinae (frogfishes, family Antennariidae, suborder Antennarioidei) which are frogfishes living in tropical and Subtropical waters.
Please take note, that this is a simplified identification key. Ichthyologists use tables with the number of dorsal, anal and pectoral rays, the length of the illicium and other distinguishing characteristics for means of identification.