Roughbar frogfish (Fowlerichthys avalonis)

Classification (WoRMS)

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

Accepted name: Fowlerichthys avalonis · Authority: (Jordan & Starks, 1907) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 712506.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Antennarius avalonis Jordan & Starks, 1907.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=712506 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 33 cm · Common length: 15 cm · Depth range: 0–300 m · Habitat zone: demersal · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 23 of 100 · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Adults inhabit rocky areas, including the intertidal zone. Found on sandy and muddy bottoms (Ref. 9269). Young individuals feed heavily on crustaceans but as they grow bigger, they consume more and more fish, sometimes catching and eating fishes their own size (Ref. 4930).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 3083) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Fowlerichthys-avalonis.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

238 georeferenced occurrence records for Fowlerichthys avalonis are published through GBIF from 11 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 82 distinct locations from a sample of 238 records, omitting 26 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Mexico (172); Peru (18); Costa Rica (12); Panama (11); Colombia (7); United States of America (6); Ecuador (5); Nicaragua (2); Belize (1); Malaysia (1); Viet Nam (1).

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 7193723) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=7193723&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=712506 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Fowlerichthys avalonis (Jordan & Starks, 1907) as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 183737) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/183737/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 7193723) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/7193723/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Fowlerichthys avalonis Was first formally described as Antennarius avalonis in 1907 by the American ichthyologists David Starr Jordan and Edwin Chapin Starks with its type locality given as Santa Catalina Island, California. The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the genus Fowlerichthys in the family Antennariidae within the suborder Antennarioidei within the order Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes.

Fowlerichthys avalonis has the genus name Fowlerichthys which combines Fowler, honouring the American ichthyologist Henry Weed Fowler of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia who gave Barbour the type specimen of the type species of the genus, F. floridanus, with ichthys, which means fish. The specific name, avalonis, refers to the type locality of Avalon Bay on Santa Catalina Island.

Fowlerichthys avalonis has a rather globular body which has some lateral compression with a large upwardly pointing mouth with many small bristle-like teeth. The illicium is roughly equal in length to the second dorsal spine, with an esca, or lure, that is around 40% of the length of the illicium and is an oval bunch of short, vertical appendages. The second dorsal spine is joined to the head by a membrane while the third dorsal spine is unconnected and moveable. The eyes are located on the side of the head and the small gill openings are located to the rear and below the base of the pectoral fin. There is a caudal peduncle but the rear of the dorsal and anal fins are not connected to the caudal fin. The pectoral fins are limb like and have a joint resembling an elbow and have a wide connection to the body. The skin on the body has a dense covering of bifurcated spicules. The color varies and may yellow, orange, red, brown or black with distinct light and dark mottles, There are large black ocelli with thin orange margins on the base of the rear of the dorsal fin. The dorsal fin has between 12 and 14 soft rays while the anal fin has 8 or 9 soft rays. This species has a maximum published total length of 33 cm.

Fowlerichthys avalonis is the most widely distributed frogfish in the eastern Pacific Ocean and is distributed from California in the north to northern Chile in the south. The roughbar frogfish is found at depths between 0 and 300 m, although they are typically found between 0 and 95 m. They are associated with rocky areas, even within the intertidal zone, as well as areas of sand and mud substrates.

Fowlerichthys avalonis is an ambush predator, sitting motionless on the reef, camouflaged, waiting for small fish to come within striking distance. They are also known to stalk prey such as fish and crustaceans. Spawning involves the laying of pelagic eggs, the females laying as many as 300,000 eggs within a buoyant raft, this floats in the sea for several days until the eggs hatch. Crustaceans dominate the diet of younger fishes while adults prey mainly in fish.

Source: Wikipedia: Fowlerichthys avalonis — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fowlerichthys_avalonis (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.