Frogfish and Dragonets Codexery

Echinophryne crassispina

A small, spiny anglerfish endemic to southern Australian temperate waters.

Last updated

Echinophryne crassispina, known as the Prickly Anglerfish, grows to about 7 cm in length.[1] Its body is short and deep, covered with dense bifurcate spinules.[2] The species was first formally described in 1918 by McCulloch and Waite from Spencer Gulf, South Australia.[3]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassActinopterygii
  4. DivisionTeleostei
  5. OrderLophiiformes
  6. FamilyAntennariidae
  7. GenusEchinophryne
  8. SpeciesEchinophryne crassispina

Named by McCulloch & Waite, 1918

Close relatives

Other species of Echinophryne with a Codexery entry.

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Echinophryne crassispina (CC BY-SA 4.0) · differs from this box at family: WoRMS AphiaID 280584 (CC BY 4.0)

How big is it?

Size comparison: Echinophryne crassispina and a personA 0.07 m long echinophryne crassispina drawn to scale next to a 1.8 m tall person. Schematic shapes, not a likeness.0.07 m1.8 m

Largest length in the source, 0.07 m, next to a 1.8 m person.

Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Echinophryne crassispina

Where the echinophryne crassispina has been recorded

Where the echinophryne crassispina has been recorded11 mapped locations from 92 GBIF occurrence records; marked places: Spencer GulfSpencer Gulf

Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (92 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 12 inland records left out (institution coordinates).

Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain) · place coordinates: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Biology and range

It inhabits shallow rocky reefs at depths between 0 and 20 m, often hiding under rocks or ledges.[4] Breeding occurs in early summer, with females laying about 150 eggs onto a rocky substrate.[5] The "fishing rod" (illicium) has no clearly visible lure.[2] On the head there is a whitish, scab-like pattern, while the anal and caudal fins each show a conspicuous dark-brown band and marginal dark bands.[5]

Small decapod crustaceans make up the majority of its diet.[6] By wrapping the eggs in a pocket created between its body and tail, the male guards them.[5]

What the specialist sources record

Under Tasmanian law, a personal fishing licence holder may possess no more than three specimens in Tasmanian waters.[5] The World Register of Marine Species places Echinophryne crassispina in the family Histiophrynidae.[7] GBIF records 97 occurrence records for this taxon as of October 2026.[8] The Fishes of Australia account notes that under Tasmanian regulations, a personal fishing licence holder may possess no more than 3 Prickly Anglerfish in Tasmanian waters.[5]

References

  1. Mark McGrouther, "Prickly Anglerfish, Echinophryne crassispina McCulloch & Waite, 1918", Australian Museum, 19 April 2021. facts only, no text reused. australian.museum
  2. Wikipedia, "Echinophryne crassispina" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Mark McGrouther, "Prickly Anglerfish, Echinophryne crassispina McCulloch & Waite, 1918", Australian Museum, 19 April 2021 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Echinophryne crassispina" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; ; Arnold, R. J., "A new genus and species of the frogfish family Antennariidae (Teleostei: Lophiiformes: Antennarioidei) from New South Wales, Australia, with a diagnosis and key to the genera of the Histiophryninae", Cope; ; "Fishes of the World", John Wiley & Sons, 2016, p. 508–518 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Echinophryne crassispina" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dianne J. Bray, "Echinophryne crassispina", Fishes of Australia, 2020; ; Dianne J. Bray, "Echinophryne crassispina", Fishes of Australia, 2020 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Dianne J. Bray, "Echinophryne crassispina", Fishes of Australia, 2020. facts only, no text reused. fishesofaustralia.net.au
  6. Wikipedia, "Echinophryne crassispina" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dianne J. Bray, "Echinophryne crassispina", Fishes of Australia, 2020 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  7. World Register of Marine Species, Echinophryne crassispina (AphiaID 280584). CC BY 4.0. marinespecies.org
  8. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Echinophryne crassispina (taxon key 2414676). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Echinophryne crassispina (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

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Abantennarius nummifer Abantennarius nummifer

Named in this entry

EchinophryneActinopterygii

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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 Echinophryne crassispina first scientifically described?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1918.

2. To which biological family does the Echinophryne crassispina belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Antennariidae.

3. To which biological order does the Echinophryne crassispina 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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