Tailjet frogfish

Lore & Background

The tailjet frogfish was first formally described in 1957 by American ichthyologist Leonard Peter Schultz, with the type locality given as Waikiki Reef off Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands. Its genus name Abantennarius combines ab, meaning 'away from', with antennarius, referring to the gill opening being positioned away from the base of the pectoral fin. The specific name analis means 'anal', alluding to the gill opening being located near the base of the anal fin.

This species has three dorsal spines and a second dorsal fin supported by 12, rarely 13, soft rays. The illicium is double the length of the second dorsal spine, with an elongated esca bearing filamentous appendages and dark swellings at its base. It lacks a caudal peduncle, and the rear parts of the dorsal and anal fins are connected to the caudal fin by a membrane. The pectoral fins are prehensile with an elbow-like joint, and the skin is densely covered with forked spines. Its overall color is mottled light grey with a yellowish hue on the fins.

The tailjet frogfish is found in the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean, ranging from Cartier Island, Christmas Island, and Rowley Shoals north to the Ryukyu Islands and east to the Society Islands and Hawaii. It inhabits reefs at depths between 2 and 21 m, sheltering in tidal pools, among rubble, and in crevices.

Reader's Guide

The tailjet frogfish is a gonochoristic species with external fertilization. Females lay eggs about 1 mm in diameter in a pelagic raft—a gelatinous mass containing thousands of eggs that floats. As an ambush predator, it uses its first dorsal spine to lure prey within striking range of its mouth. It can vary its color and pattern to camouflage itself with the environment. The species is associated with reef habitats in the eastern Indian and western Pacific Oceans, including locations such as Hawaii, the Ryukyu Islands, and the Society Islands. Its maximum recorded standard length is 7.8 cm. The placement of its gill opening near the anal fin is a key distinguishing feature among frogfishes, as noted in its etymology. The species was described in 1957 by Leonard Peter Schultz, and its classification places it in the family Antennariidae within the suborder Antennarioidei of the order Lophiiformes.

Did You Know?

• The gill opening of the tailjet frogfish is located near the base of the anal fin, not near the pectoral fin as in most frogfishes.
• Females lay eggs in a floating gelatinous raft containing thousands of 1 mm eggs.
• The species was first described in 1957 by Leonard Peter Schultz from a specimen collected at Waikiki Reef, Oahu.