Teleostei (teleosts) >
Lophiiformes (Anglerfishes) >
Antennariidae (Frogfishes)
Etymology: Histrio: Latin, histrionicus = related with actors; because of the movements of that mekaes this fish before catching its preys (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Linnaeus.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 50 m (Ref. 58302), usually 0 - 2 m (Ref. 58302). Subtropical; 46°N - 36°S, -180°W - 180°E
Western Atlantic: Rio de la Plata estuary, Uruguay, to Canada (Ref. 5951). Eastern Atlantic: Azores and off West Africa; Gulf Stream drift stray in Norway (Ref. 28571). Indian Ocean: South Africa to Red Sea, Madagascar, Réunion and Mauritius, eastward to India and Sri Lanka. Western Pacific: Hokkaido to tropical Australia (as far south as Perth in the west and Sydney in the east), Taiwan, Philippines, Moluccas, southern Papua New Guinea, Guam, Tonga, New Caledonia and New Zealand; Mariana Islands in Micronesia (Ref. 1602). Occurrence in the eastern Pacific remains to be verifed and confirmed.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 20.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 7251)
Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 13; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 6 - 13. Diagnosis: body short and globose; mouth large with many small, villiform teeth; skin naked, but head, body and fins covered with numerous skin flaps; very long pelvic fins (> 25% SL); unprotected illicium or lure attains less than half of second dorsal-fin spine and 4.5-9.3% of SL (Ref. 57225).
Body shape (shape guide): short and / or deep; Cross section: compressed.
Found near the surface, usually associated with floating objects (Ref. 26340) or Sargassum. Found near shore and occasionally among floating seaweeds (Ref. 57225). Commonly blown into shore and bay waters during storms (Ref. 7251). Epipelagic (Ref. 58302). A solitary (Ref. 26340) and voracious predator (Ref. 5521). They feed on fishes and shrimps that seek refuge in the floating weeds (Ref. 48635). Oviparous. Eggs are bound in ribbon-like sheath or mass of gelatinous mucus called 'egg raft' or 'veil' (Ref. 6773, 48635). Solitary or loose groups among floating seaweed (Ref 90102).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Oviparous. During courtship, the male follows the female closely then both rush to the surface to spawn (Ref. 205). At this point, eggs are produced in a gelatinous floating mass or 'raft' and inseminated by the male. The eggs remain embedded in this raft until hatching (Ref. 240).
Pietsch, T.W. and D.B. Grobecker, 1987. Frogfishes of the world. Systematics, zoogeography, and behavioral ecology. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. 420 p. (Ref. 6773)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
Threat to humans
Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 30911)
Human uses
Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; aquarium: commercial
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 21.4 - 29.2, mean 27.7 °C (based on 4840 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 1.0000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.02630 (0.01029 - 0.06725), b=2.96 (2.73 - 3.19), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.9 ±0.63 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Fec assumed to be > 10,000).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
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Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 35.4 [15.8, 77.9] mg/100g; Iron = 0.641 [0.325, 1.216] mg/100g; Protein = 19.4 [16.9, 22.5] %; Omega3 = 0.169 [0.062, 0.449] g/100g; Selenium = 12 [5, 31] μg/100g; VitaminA = 107 [26, 451] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.751 [0.443, 1.227] mg/100g (wet weight);
