www.frogfish.ch

Identification Key Frogfishes

Japan and Taiwan - Frogfishes with short lures

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

These frogfishes are common in Japan 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

These frogfishes are uncommon in Japan:

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 / Rodless frogfish - Verborgener Anglerfisch)

		Information 9cm

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

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.