Spiny-tufted frogfish (Abantennarius rosaceus)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Lophiiformes · Family: Antennariidae · Genus: Abantennarius.

Accepted name: Abantennarius rosaceus · Authority: (Smith & Radcliffe, 1912) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 1592359.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Antennarius rosaceus Smith & Radcliffe, 1912; Antennatus rosaceus (Smith & Radcliffe, 1912).

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1592359 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Abantennarius rosaceus. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 5.800000190734863 cm · Depth range: 0–130 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100 · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Lives at moderate depths in sponge zones (Ref. 48635); occurs in seaward reef flats. Minimum depth reported taken from Ref. 57178. Coral and Rocky reefs in 0-130 m, more common between 30-40 m (Ref 90102).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 7296) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Abantennarius-rosaceus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Abantennarius rosaceus was first formally described in 1912 as Antennarius rosaceus by the American zoologists Hugh McCormick Smith and Lewis Radcliffe with its type locality given as Romblon in the Philippines. The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the genus Abantennarius in the family Antennariidae within the suborder Antennarioidei within the order Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes.

Etymology

Abantennarius rosaceus has the genus name Abantennarius which prefixes ab, meaning "away from", onto antennarius, a fish of the family Antennaridae. This is an allusion to the gill opening being positioned away from the base of the pectoral fin, which is typically where it is located in frogfishes. The specific name rosaceus means "pink", a reference to its rosy colour in alcohol.

Description

Abantennarius rosaceus has the gill opening close to or on the base of the pectoral fin. It has a clear caudal peduncle and the rear edges of the dorsal and anal fins are connected to the caudal peduncle. The illiciumis clearly longer than the second dorsal spine and has an esca, or lure, which is elongate with tapering filaments and a cluster of dark, round swellings at its base. The second dorsal spine is thin and straight, tapering to a point and has small clusters of threads along its length.

The second dorsal fin contains 12 or 13 soft rays while the anal fin contains 7or 8 soft rays. As in other members of this genus they have a prehensile pectoral fin with an elbow like joint. There are no scales on the body and the skin has a covering of bifurcated spinules.

The typical colour is pinkish-purple with a dark spot on the upper body near the base of the dorsal fin. They also have a reticulated patternover the body. The rosy frogfish has a maximum published standard length of 5.8 cm.

Distribution

Abantennarius rosaceus is known from the Red Sea, where there has been a single record. Elsewhere it has been recorded from Indonesia and the Philippines east to the Marshall Islands and Samoa, north to southern Japan and south to New Caledonia and Australia.

In Australia this species is known from Lord Howe Island and the North West Shelf. The rosy frogfish is associated with reefs at depths between 0 and 130 m but is typically found at depths between 30 and 40 m. It inhabits the sponge zone at moderate depths and may be found on flat areas on the seaward side of reefs.

Biology

Abantennarius rosaceus is oviparous, the females laying egg masses within ribbons of gelatinous mucus, known as an "egg rafts" or "veils", the eggs remain within these until the planktonic larvae emerge. It is piscivorous, attracting prey to within striking range of the mouth with its shrimp-like esca.

Abantennarius rosaceus is infrequently taken from the wild for sale in the aquarium trade.

Source: Wikipedia: Abantennarius rosaceus — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abantennarius_rosaceus (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.