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Identification Key Frogfishes

Tropical Australia - Frogfishes with short lures
(Great Barrier Reef, Timor Sea, Gulf of Carpentaria, Ningaloo)

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

These frogfishes are common in tropical Australia 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 dorehensis (New Guinea Frogfish)

		Information 2.5-5cm

Abantennarius nummifer (Spotfin frogfish)

		Information 10cm

These frogfishes are uncommon in tropical Australia:

Lophiocharon hutchinsi (Hutchins' Anglerfish)

		Information 5cm

Histiophryne bougainvilli (Bougainville's Frogfish or Smooth Angler - Bougainville's Anglerfisch)

		Information 6cm

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 is only known from Queensland and has a slightly larger esca than other Histiophryne species.

Histiophryne maggiewalker (Maggiewalker Frogfish)

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

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.