Frogfish

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

iFrogfishes
Striated frogfish, Antennarius striatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Lophiiformes Family: Antennariidae
Genera
Allenichthys Antennarius Antennatus Echinophryne Histiophryne Histrio Kuiterichthys Lophiocharon Nudiantennarius Phyllophryne Rhycherus Tathicarpus See text for species.

Frogfishes are a family, Antennariidae, of anglerfishes. They are found in tropical oceans and seas around the world.^[1]

They are small fishes with large globose heads. They can be distinguished from other anglerfishes by the three extended dorsal fin spines on their heads. They are mostly bottom-dwelling fishes that are well camouflaged; they employ the first dorsal spine as a fishing lure to attract prey.

The sargassumfish, Histrio histrio, is unique among frogfishes in that it clings to floating Sargassum weed.^[2]

[edit] Species

There are 44 species in twelve genera:

• Genus Allenichthys
  • Glauert's anglerfish, Allenichthys glauerti (Whitley, 1944).
• Genus Antennarius
  • Tail-jet frogfish, Antennarius analis (Schultz, 1957).
  • Roughbar frogfish, Antennarius avalonis Jordan & Starks, 1907.
  • Island frogfish, Antennarius bermudensis Schultz, 1957.
  • Brackishwater frogfish, Antennarius biocellatus (Cuvier, 1817).
  • Scarlet frogfish, Antennarius coccineus (Lesson, 1831).
  • Commerson's frogfish, Antennarius commerson (Latreille, 1804).
  • New Guinean frogfish, Antennarius dorehensis Bleeker, 1859.
  • Side-jet frogfish, Antennarius duescus Snyder, 1904.
  • Shaggy angler, Antennarius hispidus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801).
  • Indian frogfish, Antennarius indicus Schultz, 1964.
  • Warty frogfish, Antennarius maculatus (Desjardins, 1840).
  • Longlure frogfish, Antennarius multiocellatus (Valenciennes, 1837).
  • Spotfin frogfish, Antennarius nummifer (Cuvier, 1817).
  • Ocellated frogfish, Antennarius ocellatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801).
    

    

    Ocellated frogfish, Antennarius ocellatus
    

    

    Ocellated frogfish, Bonaire, Dutch Antilles, Antennarius ocellatus
    

    

    Long-lure frogfish, Bonaire, Dutch Antilles, Antennarius multiocellatus
  • Antennarius pardalis (Valenciennes, 1837).
  • Dwarf frogfish, Antennarius pauciradiatus Schultz, 1957.
  • Painted frogfish, Antennarius pictus (Valenciennes, 1837).
  • Singlespot frogfish, Antennarius radiosus Garman, 1896.
  • Randall's frogfish, Antennarius randalli Allen, 1970.
  • Spiny-tufted frogfish, Antennarius rosaceus Smith & Radcliffe, 1912.
  • Bloody frogfish, Antennarius sanguineus Gill, 1863.
  • Calico frogfish, Antennarius sarasa Tanaka, 1916.
  • Antennarius scriptissimus Jordan, 1902.
  • Senegalese frogfish, Antennarius senegalensis Cadenat, 1959.
  • Striated frogfish, Antennarius striatus (Shaw, 1794).
• Genus Antennatus
  • Antennatus flagellatus Ohnishi, Iwata & Hiramatsu, 1997.
  • Antennatus linearis Randall & Holcom, 2001.
  • Bandtail frogfish, Antennatus strigatus (Gill, 1863).
  • Tuberculated frogfish, Antennatus tuberosus (Cuvier, 1817).
• Genus Echinophryne
  • Prickly anglerfish, Echinophryne crassispina McCulloch & Waite, 1918.
  • Long-spined anglerfish, Echinophryne mitchellii (Morton, 1897).
  • Echinophryne reynoldsi Pietsch & Kuiter, 1984.
• Genus Histiophryne
  • Histiophryne bougainvilli (Valenciennes, 1837).
  • Cryptic anglerfish, Histiophryne cryptacanthus (Weber, 1913).
• Genus Histrio
  • Sargassumfish, Histrio histrio (Linnaeus, 1758).
    

    

    Sargassumfish, Histrio histrio
• Genus Kuiterichthys
  • Rough anglerfish, Kuiterichthys furcipilis (Cuvier, 1817).
  • Marble-mouthed frogfish, Lophiocharon lithinostomus (Jordan & Richardson, 1908).
  • Three-spot frogfish, Lophiocharon trisignatus (Richardson, 1844).
• Genus Nudiantennarius
  • Deepwater frogfish, Nudiantennarius subteres (Smith & Radcliffe, 1912).
• Genus Phyllophryne
  • Smooth anglerfish, Phyllophryne scortea (McCulloch & Waite, 1918).
• Genus Rhycherus
  • Tasselled anglerfish, Rhycherus filamentosus (Castelnau, 1872).
  • Rhycherus gloveri Pietsch, 1984.
• Genus Tathicarpus
  • Butler's frogfish, Tathicarpus butleri Ogilby, 1907.

The frogfish is known to have the fastest movement in the animal kingdom with a bite that has been photographed at high speed to take only 1/6000 of a second.

• Genus Lophiocharon

[edit] References

1. ^ "Antennariidae". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. February 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
2. ^ Theodore W. Pietsch (2005). Antennariidae. Tree of Life web project. Retrieved on 4 April 2006.