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Identification Key Frogfishes

Western Atlantic (incl. the Caribbean) - Frogfishes with long lures

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

These frogfishes are common in the Western Atlantic and have a long luring apparatus:

If you are in the Western Atlantic and you find a frogfish which is larger than 12cm it has to be Fowlerichthys ocellatus, which is the largest frogfish here.

In the Western Atlantic there are two frogfishes that look very similar - Antennarius multiocellatus and Fowlerichthys ocellatus. The body of Antennarius multiocellatus is covered with ocelli (eye spots), Fowlerichthys ocellatus has only 3 large black ocelli, encircled by a lightly pigmented ring.

Antennarius multiocellatus (Longlure frogfish)

		Information 11cm

Fowlerichthys ocellatus (Ocellated frogfish)

		Information 38cm

Abantennarius nummifer lives in nearly all tropical oceans, unfortunately it lives very hidden and is found not that often. In the Western Atlantic there is a similar looking frogfish, Abantennarius bermudensis - more information.

Abantennarius nummifer (Spotfin frogfish)

		Information 10cm

Fowlerichthys radiosus (Big-Eyed frogfish)

		Information 11cm

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.