Warty frogfish
A variable-colored frogfish with a fishing-rod lure and biofluorescence.
Last updated
iNaturalist.org (Dan Schofield) (Dan Schofield) · via Wikipedia: Warty frogfish · CC BY 4.0
The warty frogfish is a small, attractive species that can reach 8-10 cm in size.[1] This fish is known for its prominent warts and the shape of its second dorsal spine.[1] The warty frogfish is classified within the order Lophiiformes, family Antennariidae, and genus Antennarius according to taxonomic databases.[2][3]
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassActinopterygii
- DivisionTeleostei
- OrderLophiiformes
- FamilyAntennariidae
- GenusAntennarius
- SpeciesAntennarius maculatus
Named by (Desjardins, 1840)
Close relatives
Other species of Antennarius with a Codexery entry.
- Antennarius biocellatus Antennarius biocellatus
- Antennarius commerson Antennarius commerson
- Antennarius indicus Antennarius indicus
- Antennarius pauciradiatus Antennarius pauciradiatus
- Antennarius pictus Antennarius pictus
- Antennarius scaber Antennarius scaber
- Leopard frogfish Antennarius pardalis
- Longlure frogfish Antennarius multiocellatus
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Warty frogfish (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 217850 (CC BY 4.0)
Conservation status
Least Concern (LC)
- LC▲ this species
- NT
- VU
- EN
- CR
- EW
- EX
Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category
How big is it?
Largest length in the source, 0.15 m, next to a 1.8 m person.
Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Warty frogfish
Where the warty frogfish has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (704 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 24 inland records left out (institution coordinates). 1 isolated far-off record not drawn.
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
The warty frogfish lives in tropical Indo-Pacific waters from Mauritius and Reunion Island to the western Pacific Ocean.[4] This species exhibits biofluorescence, re-emitting blue or ultraviolet light as red.[5] This species occupies sheltered rocky and coral reef environments, where mature individuals are typically found living in association with sponges at depths no greater than 20 meters.[4] A modified first dorsal spine serves as a fishing apparatus known as the illicium.[6]
The esca, or lure, at the tip of the illicium resembles a diminutive fish and exhibits a pinkish to brownish hue.[6] The prey it captures can be almost as large as the frogfish itself.[6] This fish leads a solitary, bottom-dwelling existence, a trait shared with other frogfish species.[6]
What the specialist sources record
The frogfish.ch account notes that juveniles are frequently confused with Antennarius commerson and Antennarius pictus.[1] Irregular patches radiating from the eye, with the largest being triangular, are a main difference from other members of the Antennarius pictus group.[1] The same source states that this species can slowly change color to match surrounding sponges or corals.[1] A 2016 paper in Coral Reefs reports that during coral bleaching events, these frogfishes can turn plain white to blend in.[7]
References
- "Antennarius maculatus", www.frogfish.ch. facts only, no text reused. frogfish.ch
- Wikipedia, "Warty frogfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; "Antennarius maculatus", www.frogfish.ch; "Fishes of the World", John Wiley & Sons, 2016, p. 508–518 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- World Register of Marine Species, Antennarius maculatus (AphiaID 217850). CC BY 4.0. marinespecies.org
- Wikipedia, "Warty frogfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Descriptions and articles about the Clown Frogfish (Antennarius maculatus) – Encyclopedia of Life"; "Descriptions and articles about the Clown Frogfish (Antennarius maculatus) – Encyclopedia of Life" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Warty frogfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Sparks, "The Covert World of Fish Biofluorescence: A Phylogenetically Widespread and Phenotypically Variable Phenomenon", PLOS ONE, 2014 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Warty 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
- Wikipedia, "Warty frogfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Grimsditch, "Extreme white colouration of frogfish Antennarius maculatus due to coral bleaching event", Coral Reefs, 2016, p. 167 (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 Warty 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.
More in Frogfish
Elsewhere in Frogfish and Dragonets
Test yourself
Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.
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.
- Wikipedia: Warty frogfish (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Classification: the source article's taxobox; order, family and genus checked against WoRMS, the World Register of Marine Species (CC BY 4.0).
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List assessment.
- Occurrence records: GBIF (CC0 / CC BY). Basemap: Natural Earth (public domain).
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced