Antennatus coccineus

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Scarlet frogfish
Antennarius coccineus SI.jpg
Antennarius-coccineus2.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Lophiiformes
Family: Antennariidae
Genus: Antennatus
Species:
A. coccineus
Binomial name
Antennatus coccineus
(Lesson, 1831)
Synonyms
  • Chironectes coccineusLesson, 1831
  • Antennarius coccineus(Lesson, 1831)

Antennatus coccineus, the scarlet or freckled frogfish, is a species of frogfish originally classified as Chironectes coccineus [1] [2] and Antennarius coccineus. It lives within tropical waters and has a central distribution being around Indo-East-Pacific areas- excluding Hawaii. [1] The habitat of the scarlet frogfish is in the shallow zones of the ocean. It is found within reef areas, in rocky mounds or sponges where there are places for it to hide amongst from predators. [3] The scarlet frogfish comes in a variety of colours, from tan and brown colours to bright reds and yellows and will grow to a maximum length of 13 centimetres (5.1 in). [4] [3] It can be identified taxonomically through its pectoral rays, the presence of dark patches that appear on its fins and body, along with its lack of distinctive tail base. [5] The scarlet frogfish is not harmful to humans and is not caught by fisheries for consumption purposes, however it has been caught previously for studies relating to the abundance of reef-dwelling fish and as bycatch of shrimp trawling. [6] [7] Similar to other frogfish species, the scarlet frogfish is a predatory carnivore [8] and exhibits a low degree of sociality, only interacting with other scarlet frogfish during their mating period. [4]

Contents

Taxonomy

Diagram of Antennatus coccineus, previously classified Antennarius nexilis by John Otterbein Snyder . FMIB 41091 Antennarius nexilis Type.jpeg
Diagram of Antennatus coccineus, previously classified Antennarius nexilis by John Otterbein Snyder .

Antennatus coccineus was originally classified as Chironectes coccineus by René Primevère Lesson in 1831. Lesson then went on to reclassify it as Antennarius coccineus in the same year. David Starr Jordan and Barton W. Evermann synonymised Antennatus coccineus ( Antennarius coccineus at the time) with Antennatus drombus (Antennarius drombus at the time) in 1904, however it has since been separated due to the differences in the number of pectoral rays, varying colours of the esca and the abundance of small dark blotches on the body and fins. [9] [10] [11] [12] Antennarius coccineus was incorrectly named Antennarius nexilis by John Otterbein Snyder in 1904, followed by Antennarius stigmaticus by James Douglas Ogilby in 1912, and then Antennarius leucus by Henry W. Fowler in 1934. This was then followed by Abantennarius neocaledoniensis by Édouard Le Danois in 1964, Antennarius moai by Gerald R. Allen in 1970 and finally incorrectly named Antennarius immaculatus by Le Danoi in 1970. [13] Whilst it has been the topic of numerous name changes since then, Antennarius coccineus was the most common name used up until 2012 when a combination of DNA profiling and Genetic analysis came out with the fish being incorrectly identified as being within the Antennarius genus and it was identified as being in the Antennatus genus. [14] It has since remained named Antennatus coccineus from 2012 onwards. [3] [15] [16] [1] [17]

Print of Antennarius coccineus and Antennarius marmoratus. Antennarius coccineus - 1700-1880 - Print - Iconographia Zoologica - Special Collections University of Amsterdam - UBA01 IZ13600239.tif
Print of Antennarius coccineus and Antennarius marmoratus.

Etymology

The scientific name of the scarlet frogfish originates from 2 Latin words. 'Antennatus' comes from the scientific family (biology) Antennariidae, the genus of angler fish that have a compressed frog-like body. 'Antennatus' has the Latin translation of 'antennae on the head'. [18] The word 'coccineus' means scarlet or red, depicting the colour of the fish. [4] Together these words form the name of the scarlet anglerfish – Antennatus coccineus.

Description

Image of Antennatus coccineus in Aquarium. Scarlet frogfish-Antennarius coccineus BK.jpg
Image of Antennatus coccineus in Aquarium.

The scarlet frogfish has large variety regarding its documented physical appearance. Reports of the scarlet frogfish state that this fish has been found in varying colours, specifically pale tan, mottled red and yellow, often with small dark spots on its body. [19] It grows to a maximum of 13 centimetres (5.1 in) [20] as a fully developed adult but can also be found at much smaller sizes. Size is not reported as being influenced by sex. [3] Antennatus coccineus has many characteristics common with the Antennariidae family. This includes being stocky and unstreamlined, having a scaleless body, bifurcated spinules, an upward pointing mouth with palatal teeth as well as the lure associated with anglerfish. [21] Defining characteristics of Antennatus coccineus include the last pelvic fin ray being split in two, its second dorsal fin being curved and having an illicium that is much smaller than the standard frogfish illicium length, previously recorded as being only 8.8% the normal length. Another unique trait is the growth on the top of its head that acts as a lure of which has a large variety, ranging from an unpigmented tissue lump to a long protuberance coming out of its head. Other identifying characteristics include a faint, missing or weakly developed basidorsal mark along with the lack of a distinctive tail base. [5] [22] Like other members of the Antennarius group, Antennatus coccineus has its second dorsal fin being unattached via tissue to the head, however, unlike other Lophiiforme fish, it is missing the dark patch on the back of the dorsal fin, identifying it as its own separate species. [23] The scarlet frogfish is also missing numerous spines along its back. [24]

Behaviour

Similar to all frogfishes, A. coccineus is a voracious carnivore which devours all small prey that enters within its reach. Like other members of the Antennariidae family, it has a solitary and benthic lifestyle, only tolerating each other for the simple act of fertilization. [9] Frogfish express various behaviours when feeling threatened. To prevent attacks, they will either remain as still as possible, using their camouflage to hide or else they will use Batesian Mimicry. This is where a prey animal will mimic other dangerous species to prevent predators attacking. Antennatus coccineus is known to do this by resting on the seafloor in the way a sea urchin would or else picking up similar behaviours to the poisonous scorpionfish. [25] Once attacked by a predator they use their mouths powerful suction to swell their whole body with water, making it difficult for any predatorial animal to swallow it. [26] A unique behaviour to the family Antennariidae is the unique form of locomotion they have . Many of the fish in this family, including Antennatus coccineus, can take water in through the mouth and expel it through gill openings similar to tubes, located behind its pectoral fins. Using powerful exhalation, it can propel itself forward and often does so to help ambush its prey. [27] [28] Antennatus is also mainly nocturnally active however still catches prey during the day time [29]

Reproduction

The scarlet frogfish only comes together with other frogfish for reproduction purposes during mating seasons. [30] [31] It lives within tropical waters and has a central distribution being around Indo-East-Pacific. Female and male frogfish are physically different, with the female being oviparous. [20] The female frogfish will start producing eggs when she is ready to mate. The extra mass of eggs inside of her causes her body to bloat, becoming larger and more buoyant with the added air space. This bloating will attract males who see the female as ready to reproduce. Males can follow the female for up to two days before the fertilisation process begins. [32] The male will then nudge the female, with use of her added buoyancy, all the way to the surface where she will then release the eggs to be externally fertilised by the male frogfish. [33] The eggs come together to form a floating gelatinous spawn or a raft, where they will then stay in the open ocean water until they hatch. The offspring or larvae will remain in this open ocean environment, hidden within plankton for the first one to two months of their life before they migrate to live within the reef. It is here they remain until they reach sexual maturity in which the process restarts. [21] The scarlet frogfish is classified as having high resilience, with its population being able to double in less than one year and 3 months and due to this it is also listed as a non-vulnerable species. [3]

Diet

Antennarius coccineus SI3f.jpg
Antennarius coccineus X-ray.jpg
Antennatus coccineus and accompanied by its X-ray image, revealing a large prey in its stomach

The scarlet frogfish is an ambush predator. It uses a combination of the esca or the anglerfish lure to draw in its prey and its ability to camouflage in rocks and coral to hide from it. In the sight of its prey, it will stop moving so as not to scare it away. [21] When small marine creatures are drawn to the esca, it will lurch out, expanding its mouth and engulfing its prey by creating suction as its mouth expands. Frogfish are known to be able to do this extremely fast, almost at 6/1000 of a second. They mainly eat small reef-dwelling fish such as school fish. However, they can also eat small crustaceans that they encounter such as sand crabs and shrimp using their palatal teeth. [17] [34]

Habitat

Antennatus coccineus blending into its surroundings Freckled Frogfish (Antennatus coccineus) (23806601234).jpg
Antennatus coccineus blending into its surroundings

The scarlet frogfish is a tropical salt-water fish. It lives in reef areas, within epipelagic waters in the open ocean (1-75 m deep). [4] They are more likely to be found in waters less than 10 meters deep and are mainly benthic dwelling fish. It will only leave the ground to reproducem. [3] The physical characteristics of Antennatus coccineus such as their colour, patterns and bifurcated spinules allow them to blend in with the reef environment The frogfish uses this to its advantage by hiding amongst the rocks, sponges and coral within the reef to protect itself from predators and to ambush its prey. They are solitary fish [31] and as such prefer to be alone and away from other scarlet frogfish. [33]

Distribution

The scarlet frogfish is prominent on the East Coast of Africa, Madagascar and the Arabian sea as a native species. It is also found having been introduced in the Indo-East-Pacific, the easternmost islands of the Pacific Ocean and heavily in Northern Australia. [2] Its native locations are much smaller than its suitable habitat range, with it suiting environments located on the East Coast of Mexico, South America and the West Coast of North Africa. [3] Previously it was believed that Antennatus coccineus was also native to Hawaii, however, due to different numbers of pectoral rays (Antennatus coccineus having 12 and the Hawaiian freckled anglerfish having 10) it was determined they are a different species and as such Antennatus coccineus is no longer classified as being located in Hawaii. Antennatus coccineus is a scarcely distributed species. In a study done on the abundance of reef fish in India, only 2 scarlet frogfish species were encountered compared to the 154 lionfish, demonstrating the scarce nature of it in non-native areas. [7] [14]

Human interaction

The scarlet frogfish is not harmful to humans, it is not known to bite due to its small size, preference for smaller prey and also its 'play dead' method of predatorial protection. Frogfish are not caught by fisheries for food or consumption purposes; however, it is a very common bycatch in shrimp trawling. In the Arabian sea, Antennatus coccineus makes up 19.3% of the total bycatch number of shrimp trawling, along with 28.4% of the total mass of bycatch. [35] Commercially, Antennatus coccineus is only of interest for tropical and salt-water fish tanks and aquariums; it is an ornamental or display fish. [31] Besides this, there is very little human interaction within this frogfish species.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frogfish</span> Family of fishes

Frogfishes are any member of the anglerfish family Antennariidae, of the order Lophiiformes. Antennariids are known as anglerfish in Australia, where the term "frogfish" refers to members of the unrelated family Batrachoididae. Frogfishes are found in almost all tropical and subtropical oceans and seas around the world, the primary exception being the Mediterranean Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spotfin frogfish</span> Species of fish

The spotfin frogfish, Antennatus nummifer, is a fish of the family Antennariidae, found in all subtropical oceans to depths of 300 m. It grows to 13 cm (5.1 in) in total length. This species can be found in the aquarium trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Striated frogfish</span> Species of fish

The striated frogfish or hairy frogfish is a marine fish belonging to the family Antennariidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commerson's frogfish</span> Species of fish

Commerson's frogfish or the giant frogfish, Antennarius commerson, is a marine fish belonging to the family Antennariidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psychedelic frogfish</span> Species of fish

The psychedelic frogfish is a yellow-brown or peach colored frogfish named for its pink and white stripes arranged in a fingerprint pattern. The fish is from waters near Ambon Island and Bali, Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warty frogfish</span> Species of fish

The warty frogfish or clown frogfish is a marine fish belonging to the family Antennariidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglerfish</span> Bony fish of the teleost order Lophiiformes

The anglerfish are fish of the teleost order Lophiiformes. They are bony fish named for their characteristic mode of predation, in which a modified luminescent fin ray acts as a lure for other fish. The luminescence comes from symbiotic bacteria, which are thought to be acquired from seawater, that dwell in and around the sea.

<i>Histiophryne</i> Genus of fishes

Histiophryne is a genus of frogfishes found in waters ranging from Taiwan to South Australia. There are currently five known species. These fishes are easily distinguished from other anglerfishes as having a reduced luring appendage, a highly evolved form of the first dorsal fin spine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butler's frogfish</span> Species of fish

The Butler's frogfish or blackspot anglerfish, Tathicarpus butleri, is a rare species of frogfish in the family Antennariidae. The only member of its genus, this species is the most derived member of its family and represents a separate lineage from all other frogfishes, leading to some consideration of it being placed in its own family. It is found off the southern coast of New Guinea, and along the coasts of Western Australia to 33° S latitude, the Northern Territory, and Queensland to 22° S latitude. A benthic species, it inhabits inshore tropical waters and coral reefs to a maximum depth of 145 m (476 ft), though most are found shallower than 45 m (148 ft). Its specific epithet is after its discoverer Dr. Graham Butler.

<i>Antennarius</i> Genus of fishes

Antennarius is a genus of 11 species of fish in the family Antennariidae. These fish spend most of their lives on the bottom in relatively shallow water between 20 and 100 m. They can be found worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters. They are well-camouflaged ambush predators that wait for prey fish to pass by. They have "lures" which they move to attract the prey. They have little economic value other than a minor role in the aquarium trade. Commerson's frogfish was the first species in this genus to be described, in 1798.

<i>Antennatus</i> Genus of fishes

Antennatus is a genus of frogfishes. The last species was described in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaggy frogfish</span> Species of fish

The shaggy frogfish, is a marine fish in the family Antennariidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Painted frogfish</span> Species of fish

The painted frogfish or spotted frogfish, Antennarius pictus, is a marine fish belonging to the family Antennariidae.

Antennatus sanguineus, also known as the bloody frogfish or sanguine frogfish, is a Marine fish belonging to the family Antennariidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randall's frogfish</span> Species of fish

Randall's frogfish is a marine fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes.

Antennatus drombus is a fish of the family Antennariidae, found in the Hawaiian Islands. It grows to 12 cm (4.7 in) in total length.

<i>Rhycherus filamentosus</i> Species of fish

Rhycherus filamentosus, commonly known as the tasselled anglerfish, is a species of frogfish endemic to southern Australia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean and southeastern Indian Ocean. It is a well-camouflaged predator and lies in wait on the seabed for unwary prey to approach too close.

Antennarius moai, commonly known as the Moai frogfish, is a species of fish native to Easter Island in the South Pacific. This species was discovered by Gerald R. Allen et al. in the 1970s. FishBase lists this taxon as a synonym of Antennatus coccineus.

Antennatus linearis, sometimes known as the pygmy anglerfish or the lined frogfish, is a species of fish in the family Antennariidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific, where it is known from East Africa, the Aldabra Islands, the Comoro Islands, the Molucca Islands, and the Hawaiian Islands. It is a secretive reef-dwelling fish that occurs at a depth of 4 to 33 m and reaches 7.5 cm SL. This species is usually seen under coral rubble or in rocky areas. It is the most recently described species in the genus Antennatus, as well as the only species in the genus described in the 21st century.

<i>Fowlerichthys avalonis</i> Species of frogfish

Fowlerichthys avalonis, known as the roughbar frogfish, is a species of fish in the family Antennariidae. It is native to the East Pacific, where it ranges from California's Santa Catalina Island to Peru. This species reaches 33 cm in total length, and it is found in rocky areas from the intertidal zone down to a depth of 300 m (984 ft). Young individuals of this species primarily feed on crustaceans, although they start to consume more and more fish as they grow, with adults primarily feeding on other fish, including fishes their own size, which the frogfish catch by striking quickly with their rapidly expanding mouths, a behavior typical of frogfish and some other anglerfish. The species is demersal and oviparous. This species contains remnants of the previously recognized group of A. ocellatus, which became recovered as their sister group for the Antennarius paraphyletic genus. In other words, this species of frogfish became somewhat of an addition to the widely known group of A. ocellatus, that is directly referring to the oscar fish which can be considered one of the species who has shared part of its evolutionary history with frogfish species, that includes the roughbar frogfish.

References

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  2. 1 2 "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Chironectes coccineus Lesson, 1831". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
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  6. ↑ Al-Mamry, Juma, Mikhail Chesalin, Dawood Al-Mamary, and Rashid Al-Senaidi. 2015. "THE BYCATCH COMPOSITION OF SHRIMP TRAWL FISHERY IN THE OMAN COASTAL WATERS, THE ARABIAN SEA. Proquest 55 (8): 273-283
  7. 1 2 Prakash, S, J Balamurugan, T.T.Ajith Kumar, and T Balasubramanian. 2012. "Invasion And Abundance Of Reef Inhabiting Fishes In The Vellar Estuary". Current Science 103 (8): 941-944
  8. ↑ "Scarlet Frogfish". Oceana. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  9. 1 2 Pietsch, T. W. and D. B. Grobecker 1987. Frogfishes of the world: Systematics, zoogeography, and behavioral ecology. Stanford University Press. i-xxii + 1-420, Pls. 1-56.
  10. ↑ Williams, Jeffrey T. 1989. "Book review of: Frogfishes of the World, by T. W. Pietsch and D. B. Grobecker" National Geographic Research 5 (3):277-280.
  11. ↑ Randall, J.E. 1996. Shore fishes of Hawaii. Natural World Press, Vida, Oregon.
  12. ↑ Randall, J.E. 2010. Shore Fishes of Hawaii (Revised Edition). University of Hawaii Press. Honolulu.
  13. ↑ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Antennatus coccineus (Lesson, 1831)". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  14. 1 2 Arnold, R.J. & Pietsch, T.W. (2012) Evolutionary history of frogfishes (Teleostei: Lophiiformes: Antennariidae): a molecular approach. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 62, 117–129. [Available online 2 Oct. 2011; publisher listed print copy as 2012]
  15. ↑ Registry-Migration.Gbif.Org (2021). "GBIF Backbone Taxonomy". GBIF Secretariat. doi:10.15468/39omei.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  16. ↑ "ITIS - Report: Antennarius coccineus". www.itis.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  17. 1 2 Australia, Atlas of Living. "Species: Antennatus coccineus (Freckled Anglerfish)". bie.ala.org.au. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  18. ↑ "Definition of ANTENNARIIDAE".
  19. ↑ Australia, Atlas of Living. "Species: Antennatus coccineus (Freckled Anglerfish)". bie.ala.org.au. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  20. 1 2 "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Antennatus coccineus (Lesson, 1831)". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  21. 1 2 3 Bray, Dianne. "Family ANTENNARIIDAE". Fishes of Australia. Archived from the original on 2014-04-19. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
  22. ↑ Al-Mamry, Juma, and Laith A. Jawad. 2009. "First Record Of Antennarius Coccineus From The Gulf Of Oman And Second Record Of Antennarius Indicus From The Arabian Sea Coast Of Oman". Marine Biodiversity Records 8 (1): 153
  23. ↑ "EcoSystem Aquarium Frogfishes — The Family Antennariidae". www.mydigitalpublication.com. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  24. ↑ https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Antennarius+coccineus&mobile=close&flags=glean [Accessed 16 March 2020]
  25. ↑ Randall, J., 2005. A Review Of Mimicry In Marine Fishes. [online] Zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw. Available at: <http://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/44.3/299.pdf Archived 2021-07-11 at the Wayback Machine > [Accessed 28 May 2020]
  26. ↑ Pietsch, T. and Arnold, R., 2020. Frogfishes: Biodiversity, Zoogeography, And Behavioral Ecology. 1st ed. JHU Press, pp.206-426
  27. ↑ 5. Fish, F. E. (1987). Kinematics and Power Output of Jet Propulsion by the Frogfish Genus Antennarius (Lophiiformes: Antennariidae).
  28. ↑ Williams, Jeffrey T. 1989. "Book review of: Frogfishes of the World, by T. W. Pietsch and D. B. Grobecker" National Geographic Research. ( ).. 5 (3):277-280.
  29. ↑ Ghisotti, A., 1997. Fish Of The Maldives.
  30. ↑ Pietsch, T. W. and D. B. Grobecker 1987. Frogfishes of the world: Systematics, zoogeography, and behavioural ecology. Stanford University Press. i-xxii + 1-420, Pls. 1-56.
  31. 1 2 3 Bray, D.J. & Thompson, V.J. 2019, Antennatus Coccineus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 28 May 2020, http://136.154.202.208/Home/species/2845
  32. ↑ "Frogfishes ⋆ PhilsDiving". PhilsDiving. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  33. 1 2 "EcoSystem Aquarium Frogfishes — The Family Antennariidae". www.mydigitalpublication.com. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  34. ↑ "Diving with Frogfish | Creature Features". www.dive-the-world.com. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  35. ↑ Al-Mamry, Juma, Mikhail Chesalin, Dawood Al-Mamary, and Rashid Al-Senaidi. 2015. "THE BYCATCH COMPOSITION OF SHRIMP TRAWL FISHERY IN THE OMAN COASTAL WATERS, THE ARABIAN SEA". Proquest 55 (8): 273-283
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