www.frogfish.ch
The Frogfish
Images of the frogfish genus Antennarius - Frogfish Slideshow
The frogfish (or anglerfish, angler, fishing frog) is one of my favorite fishes so this website is dedicated entirely to this family of fishes (Antennariidae).
Frogfishes are fascinating animals. They sit well camouflaged and without moving on sponges, wait in front of holes or hide between corals and wait for their prey to approach. One of its dorsal spine is converted into a lure (illicium) with a bait (esca) which looks like a small fish, a worm or a shrimp. This lure is dangled, flicked and moved around in front of the Frogfish's head. If a fish wants to catch this make-believe prey it becomes prey itself - fast as lightning the Frogfish greatly expands its oral cavity thus creating suction pressure inside the mouth and engulfs the animal. This behavior is called aggressive mimicry. With this kind of luring behavior the frogfish is a very succesfull predator.
Although like a lot of divers I have started to use the nickname "Froggie" of course the frogfish is not exactly a cuddly animal - actually it is not very likable - but but how it looks and it's behavior is very interesting!
So - enjoy this website, look at the largest collection of frogfish photos, read about the behavior of this amazing fish and..... get wet! Those critters are waiting for you underwater!
IMPORTANT: Based on new findings (reference)
about DNA in frogfishes the nomenclatur for several frogfish species (all
of the former genus Antennarius) was changed and this website corrected
accordingly in 2012.
New
phylogenetic relationships between frogfish genera and species
list
of changed species names / PDF
2013: New on www.frogfish.ch
- New very interesting information about the behavior of the Psychedelic Frogfish (Histiophryne psychedelica) from Ambon, Moluccas
2012: New on www.frogfish.ch
- Never seen yet - special colouring of a juvenile frogfish (A. pictus?) - Image 1, 2 and details 3, 4
- The 47th frogfish species: The bearded Histiophryne sp from Indonesia has a Latin name: Histiophryne pogonius
- French version of this website is online (l'antennaire - le poisson-grenouille)
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First sighting of a Antennarius randalli in the Red Sea!
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More amazing photos of several rare Histiophryne frogfish species: Histiophryne bougainvilli, Histiophryne cryptacanthus, Histiophryne psychedelica (Psychedelic Frogfish) and an Australian Histiophryne sp.
- Red colouring of Antennarius pauciradiatus and black colouring of Lophiocharon trisignatus confirmed
- X-rays of the jaw of several frogfishes from the California Academy of Sciences
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The 46th frogfish species: A new small frogfish species from Queensland: Histiophryne maggiewalker with exclusive photos!
- An absolute rarity - the photo of a Glauert's Frogfish, Anglerfish (Allenichthys glauerti) from South Australia!!
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A tiny white baby frogfish with bands on tail and legs: Antennatus tuberosus (Bandfin Frogfish)
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Great photos of the Ocellated Frogfish Fowlerichthys ocellatus(formerly Antennarius ocellatus) from Florida - a rare event since they tend to live beyond recreational scuba depths. Video
- Entire website adapted: new scientific names for 13 frogfish species - see phylogenetic relationships
2011: New on www.frogfish.ch
- Images of a rare black Brackish-Water Frogfish (Antennarius biocellatus) from Sail Rock (Gulf of Thailand)
- Look inside the mouth of two Hairy Frogfishes
- Histiophryne sp.2 from Taiwan? Watch this video!
2010: New on www.frogfish.ch
- New pictures of Lophiocharon lithinostomus taken in Irian Jaya, Indonesia
- New pictures of a pink Histiophryne cf cryptacanthus taken in the Komodo islands, Indonesia
- New pictures of a greenish Histiophryne cryptacanthus taken in Sulawesi, Indonesia
- Dutch Version (Nederlandse versie Hengelaarsvissen) of the main texts is online
- Several interesting videos with frogfish behavior
- Excellent pictures from the Galapagos of Antennatus sanguineus
- Tiny yellow Bougainville's Anglerfish (Australia) with eggs under its tail
- Uncommon Ambon Frogfish with eggs under its tail
- Mating Clown Frogfish (very special coloring!!)
- Several new photos of a possible undescribed species of Histiophryne with a honeycomb pattern
- Caught by fishermen in 100 m depth off the coast of Africa - an uncommon Senegal Frogfish (Antennarius senegalensis).
2009: New on www.frogfish.ch
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The 45th frogfish species: The so far undescribed frogfish-species from Ambon has a name: Histiophryne psychedelica
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Look at new photos of an undescribed frogfish species from Sydney, Australia
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Amazing photos of a frogfish caught by a lizardfish
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Is this a new color variation of the Lembeh Frogfish?
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New Frogfish-Species? Photos of several Histiophryne sp. from Indonesia and Australia
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A tiny Antennarius randalli that looks like a leaf
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Tiny baby of Antennatus tuberosus, smaller than a finger nail!
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Photos of the Australian Anglerfish Rhycherus filamentosus with egg clutch
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Photos of a clutch of eggs of Lophiocharon lithinostomus where you can actually make out the tiny frogfish-embryos
