Frogfish and Dragonets Codexery

Antennarius commerson

A euryhaline frogfish with a variable coloration and a fishing lure.

Last updated

Antennarius commerson

Diego Delso · via Wikipedia: Commerson's frogfish · CC BY-SA 4.0

Commerson's frogfish is a benthic and solitary anglerfish that uses a modified first dorsal spine as a fishing rod to lure prey.[1][2] It can reach up to 38 cm in total length and is one of the largest frogfishes in the Pacific.[3][4]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassActinopterygii
  4. DivisionTeleostei
  5. OrderLophiiformes
  6. FamilyAntennariidae
  7. GenusAntennarius
  8. SpeciesAntennarius commerson

Named by (Lacépède, 1798)

Close relatives

Other species of Antennarius with a Codexery entry.

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Commerson's frogfish (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 217852 (CC BY 4.0)

Conservation status

Least Concern (LC)

  1. LC▲ this species
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX
Population trend
Not held in our sources — see the assessment
Assessment published
2022

Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category

How big is it?

Size comparison: Antennarius commerson and a personA 0.38 m long antennarius commerson drawn to scale next to a 1.8 m tall person. Schematic shapes, not a likeness.0.38 m1.8 m

Largest length in the source, 0.38 m, next to a 1.8 m person.

Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Commerson's frogfish

Where the antennarius commerson has been recorded

Where the antennarius commerson has been recorded137 mapped locations from 1,413 GBIF occurrence records

Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (1,413 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 33 inland records left out (institution coordinates).

Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain)

Biology and range

It inhabits lagoons, sheltered rocky and coral reefs, and is usually associated with large sponges.[5][4] Coloration is extremely variable and can change over a few weeks to match the environment, ranging from grey to black, cream, pink, yellow, red, or brown.[3] This frogfish is typically located at an average depth of 20 m, but can be observed on jetty pillars and other structures as deep as 70 m.[6] Dermal spinules cover the soft skin, which also features wartlike protuberances, scab-like blotches, and a limited number of small eye spots.[3]

At the tip of the illicium, the esca (lure) is pinkish to brownish and shaped like a small fish or shrimp.[1] As a voracious carnivore, Commerson's frogfish preys on any small animals that come within reach, particularly other fish.[2] If the male remains nearby after fertilization, the female may kill or consume him.[2]

What the specialist sources record

The Fishes of Australia account states that Antennarius commerson can be distinguished by 8 anal-fin rays, 13 dorsal-fin rays (rarely 11 or 12), and 11 pectoral rays (rarely 10).[7] The frogfish.ch website notes that this species is the largest frogfish in the Pacific, reaching 30 cm, and can slowly change color to match surrounding sponges or corals.[4] The same source reports that juveniles are frequently confused with Antennarius pictus and Antennarius maculatus.[4] The GBIF Backbone Taxonomy lists Antennarius commerson as an accepted species with 1,817 occurrence records as of 8 October 2026.[8]

The specific name honors Philibert Commerçon, whose note Lacépède used to describe the species in 1798.[9]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Commerson's frogfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Theodore W. Pietsch, "Frogfishes of the world", Stanford University Press, 1987 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Commerson's frogfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Theodore W. Pietsch, "Frogfishes of the world", Stanford University Press, 1987; Dianne J. Bray & Vanessa J. Thompson, 2011, Giant Anglerfish, Antennarius commerson, in Fishes of Australia, accessed 07 Oct 2014, https://fishesofaustralia.net (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Commerson's frogfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: EOL: Frogfishes (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. "(Latreille, 1804) Giant Frogfish (Commerson's Frogfish) - Riesen Anglerfisch", www.frogfish.ch. facts only, no text reused. frogfish.ch
  5. Wikipedia, "Commerson's frogfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: EOL: Frogfish: distribution (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Commerson's frogfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: EOL: Frogfish: habitat (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Dianne J. Bray & Vanessa J. Thompson, 2011, Giant Anglerfish, Antennarius commerson, in Fishes of Australia, accessed 07 Oct 2014, https://fishesofaustralia.net. facts only, no text reused. fishesofaustralia.net.au
  8. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Antennarius commerson (taxon key 9688944). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Commerson's frogfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Christopher Scharpf, "Order LOPHIIFORMES (part 1): Families LOPHIIDAE, ANTENNARIIDAE, TETRABRACHIIDAE, LOPHICHTHYIDAE, BRACHIONICHTHYIDAE, CHAUNACIDAE and OGCOCEPHALIDAE", The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Commerson's frogfish (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Related entries

Same family (Antennariidae)

Abantennarius nummifer Abantennarius nummifer

Named in this entry

ActinopterygiiGenus

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Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. In what year was Antennarius commerson first scientifically described?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1798.

2. To which biological family does the Antennarius commerson belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Antennariidae.

3. To which biological order does the Antennarius commerson belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Lophiiformes.

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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