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Identification Key Frogfishes

Indian Ocean (including the Red Sea) - Frogfishes with short lures

All frogfish species listed here are living in the Indian Ocean (including the Red Sea) and are not striped.
For striped frogfishes living in the Indian Ocean (including the Red Sea) click here.
For a overwiew of all frogfishes from this area click here.

These frogfishes are common the Indian Ocean and have a short lure:

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 coccineus (Freckled frogfish)

		Information 9-13cm

Abantennarius nummifer (Spotfin frogfish)

		Information 10cm

Abantennarius dorehensis (New Guinea Frogfish)

		Information 2.5-5cm

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.