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Eastern
Atlantic If not from the areas above |
Identification Key Frogfishes
Tropical Indopacific
Important - are you sure, that the frogfish
doesn't originate from one of the following geographic areas (please check
out those pages instead):
Indian Ocean / subtropical Australia
/ Hawaii / Japan and Taiwan
/ Eastern Pacific
Question: Is the Frogfish striped?
Yes 
continue here
No
answer the next question
Question: can you see the lure (illicium) and the bait (esca)?
Illicium and esca of a frogfish are some of the main characteristics that differ for each species.
No
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Yes
answer the next question
Question: The luring apparatus is
a) the same length or longer than the second dorsal spine
Yes
continue here
a) shorter than the second dorsal spine
Yes
continue here
a) I am not sure.....
Yes
continue here
* 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.