Antennarius multiocellatus, Longlure Frogfish [+]
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Actinopterygii
Order Lophiiformes
Family Antennariidae
Genus Antennarius
species: Antennarius multiocellatus [+ITIS +WoRMS]
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Description & Behavior
The longlure frogfish, Antennarius multiocellatus (Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1837), is a short, fat, round species. It is a small fish, generally not exceeding 20 cm. Its skin is thick and covered in highly modified scales called dermal spicules. These spicules are prickly in appearance and resemble the warts of a toad. The frogfish has small eyes, a very large mouth that is directed upwards and its pectoral fins are situated on stalks. The gill openings are very small and located behind the pectoral fins.
The basic color of the longlure frogfish is highly variable, ranging from pale yellow to bright red or dark green to reddish brown. There are black spots scattered across the body no matter what the base color. "Multiocellatus" means "many eye-like spots" in Latin. It also has a phase where the body is completely black, except for the ends of the paired fins which are white, and for a pale area that resembles a saddle on the back. It is commonly found lying in sponges in shallow waters around coral reefs. The longlure frogfish generally conforms to the color of the dominant sponge in the area, with the spots resembling the incurrent openings of a sponge.
World Range & Habitat
Confined to the tropical western part of the Atlantic ocean. It is found from Bermuda and the Bahamas to the coasts of Central and South America. Inhabits shallow reefs. Commonly found in areas with sponges; background hue of the fish conforms to that of the dominant sponge in the areas and the ocelli (eye-like markings) look like openings in the sponge. Depth range 0-66 m.
Feeding Behavior (Ecology)
The name "longlure" is a direct reference to the elongated illicium which acts as a fishing lure. The illicium is the first spine of the dorsal fin, highly modified into a long rod with a lure at the end. The frogfish will lie in a sponge and wait for a fish to swim by. It will then wiggle the lure around in order to attract the prey. It is capable of swallowing a fish that is larger in size than itself. It eats mostly fish, but has been known to also occasionally snack on crabs and mantis shrimps. Just like a recreational fisher, the frogfish will move to a different location if no fish are biting. The frogfish is reported to be the fastest animal alive. It can extend its mouth and suck in prey in about 1/6th of second and only high-speed film can catch the action.
Life History
A unique feature of the frogfish family is that the eggs are spawned encapsulated in a buoyant mass of mucus, referred to as an "egg raft." This structure may serve as a transport for moving a large number of eggs over large geographical distances. Spawning can be dangerous for the frogfish due to the cannibalistic nature of the species. The male and female march across the bottom before spawning, with the female leading and the male close behind. His snout usually is in immediate contact with her vent. The female is bloated with eggs during this time, often swelling to twice her normal size. The pair will then make a dash to the surface and the egg mass bursts from the female. The frogfish may spawn several times over the next few weeks.
Conservation Status/Additional Comments
The longlure frogfish is not considered a good aquarium fish due to the voracity of its appetite. The species is a delight to see in the wild, but it takes a very good observer to pick out a frogfish when it is camouflaged.
References & Further Research
BioOne ~ CITES ~ Discover Life ~ GBIF ~ Google Scholar ~ ITIS ~ IUCN RedList ~ MarineBio Network ~ NCBI ~ SCIRIS ~ SIRIS ~ Tree of Life Web Project ~ Wikipedia
Florida Museum of Natural History
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