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Identification Key Frogfishes

Tropical Indopacific - Frogfishes with short lures

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

Size and frequency

These frogfishes are common in the Indopacific* 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 dorehensis (New Guinea Frogfish)

		Information 2.5-5cm

Abantennarius coccineus (Freckled frogfish)

		Information 9-13cm

Abantennarius nummifer (Spotfin frogfish)

		Information 10cm

The following frogfish species are virtually never found by divers in the Indopacific*:

This frogfish can be identified by the typical large eye spot on the side. Found in brackish and fresh water.

Antennarius biocellatus (Twinspot or brackishwater frogfish)

		Information 12-14cm

Antennarius randalli is a tiny frogfish and is identified by the round white spots which are positioned on the body and on the tail.

Antennarius randalli (Randall's frogfish)

		Information 1.5-2cm

Histiophryne cryptacanthus is characterized by the white blotches all over their 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 (Maggiewalker Frogfish)

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

Histiophryne pogonius - Bearded Frogfish - Bärtiger Anglerfisch

		Information 5-6cm

The following 2 species of the genus Histiophryne are not yet described by scientists

Histiophryne sp.1 (Honeycomb Frogfish - Wabenmuster Anglerfisch)

		Information 4-6cm?

Histiophryne sp.2 (Bearded Taiwan Frogfish - Bärtiger Taiwan Anglerfisch)

		Information 4-6cm?

Nudiantennarius subteres has one or more ocelli and a long, thin second dorsal spine. The skin appears to be naked (redused spinules) This frogfish was long thougt to be a new undescribed frogfish species (Anntenatus sp.).

Nudiantennarius subteres (Lembeh Frogfish - Lembeh Anglerfisch)

		Information 5-6cm

Only known to scientists

Lophiocharon hutchinsi (Hutchins' Anglerfish)

		Information 5cm

* On this page are only frogfishes that live in the Indopacific, but not in one of the following geographic areas: Indian Ocean / subtropical Australia / Hawaii / Japan and Taiwan / Eastern Pacific

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.