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Eastern
Atlantic If not from the areas above |
Identification Key Frogfishes
Subtropical and sub-temperate Australia
Map of Australia with average anual temperatures
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Map according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Tropical Australia:
zone with annual water temperatures 24°C and above. |
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Map of the bioregions of Australia |
Several very remarkable frogfish species live in Subtropical Australia (the Great Australian Bight between Perth and Melbourne), most of them are endemic (=only exist in this area and nowhere else). Why these different species? Endemic species appear when they are separated and isolated from species related to them (for example on islands like the Galapagos). During the Pleistocene ice age sea levels fell and the supercontinent Sahul was formed with land bridging the gap between Australia and Tasmania (see animation) and thus isolating the area to the west. Most of these species belong to the subfamily Histiophryninae. Subtropical Australia has cold water and here some frogfish species show very interesting behavior, for example parental care for their eggs. Unfortunately most of these species are rarely found by divers and so only few photos exist of them. Please write to me if you have a photo of one of the species listed here. |
Occurence of frogfish species
Perth (subtropical): Allenichthys glauerti, Abantennarius nummifer, Histiophryne cryptacanthus, Phyllophryne scortea, Rhycherus gloveri
Adelaide (sub-temperate): Allenichthys glauerti, Echinophryne crassispina, Echinophryne reynoldsi, Histiophryne bougainvilli, Histiophryne narungga, Phyllophryne scortea, Rhycherus filamentosus, Rhycherus gloveri
Melbourne (sub-temperate): Echinophryne crassispina, Echinophryne mitchelli, Echinophryne reynoldsi, Histiophryne bougainvilli, Histiophryne cryptacanthus, Kuiterichthys furcipilis, Phyllophryne scortea, Rhycherus filamentosus
Tasmania (sub-temperate): Echinophryne crassispina, Echinophryne mitchelli, Kuiterichthys furcipilis, Phyllophryne scortea
Sydney (subtropical): Abantennarius nummifer, Histiophryne bougainvilli, Kuiterichthys furcipilis, Kuiterichthys pietschi, Porophryne erythrodactylus
Anglerfish-Species of subtropical and sub-temperate Australia
Allenichthys glauerti is found rarely and lives in deep waters.
Allenichthys glauerti (Glauert's Frogfish)
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Information19cm
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Abantennarius nummifer lives in the warmer water towards the north.
Abantennarius nummifer (Spotfin frogfish)
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Information10cm
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The three species of Echinophryne only differ in the shape of the lure and the length of the dermal spinules and slightly in therri habitat and range. Echinophryne mitchelli differs from the other species, that it's skin is yellowish to green. Both Echinophryne mitchelli and Echinophryne crassispina have skin prickly with dermal spinules while Echinophryne reynoldsi has smaller dermal spinules and spots.
Echinophryne crassispina (Prickly Frogfish)
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Information7cm
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Echinophryne mitchelli (Mitchell's Frogfish or Long-spined anglerfish)
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Information7-11cm
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Echinophryne reynoldsi (Reynold's Frogfish, Sponge Anglerfish)
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Information8-11cm
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The two species of Histiophryne are very difficult to differ. If you see one of the more unusual colorings (small close-set red ocelli with a white margin) it is Histiophryne cryptacanthus.
Histiophryne bougainvilli (Bougainville's Frogfish or Smooth Angler)
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Information6cm
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Histiophryne narungga (Narungga frogfish - Narungga Anglerfisch)
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Information7.5cm
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This frogfish is very uncommon and has a very distinct look from other anglerfishes in this area - a large ocelli and a very thin second dorsal spine. Can only be confused with Kuiterichthys pietschi, but this frogfish doesn't have a ocellus and is only found in New South Wales.
Kuiterichthys furcipilis (Rough Frogfish)
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Information10-15cm
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Kuiterichthys pietschi (Pietsch's Frogfish - Pietsch's Anglerfisch)
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Information2.5-3cm
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The smooth frogfish has very smooth skin nearly without any dermal spinules. It is also one of the more colorful frogfishes in southern Australia
Phyllophryne scortea (Smooth Frogfish, White-spotted Anglerfish)
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Information8-10cm
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This frogfish species has only been found around Bare Island (close to Sydney). It is usually grey to white with a redish margin on the fins.
Porophryne erythrodactylus (Red Fingered Frogfish / Bare Island Frogfish)
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Information5-7.5cm
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The two species of Rhycherus both have a lot of skin appendages and skin flaps. They can only be told apart by the shape of their lure. R. gloveri is found in the western part of the Great Australian Bight, R. filamentosus in the middle and in the east of the Bay.
Rhycherus filamentosus (Tasseled Frogfish)
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Information16-23cm
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Rhycherus gloveri (Glover's Frogfish)
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Information11-16cm
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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.