Spotfin frogfish

Last updated

Spotfin frogfish
Spotfin Frogfish (Antennarius nummifer) (8468807412).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Lophiiformes
Family: Antennariidae
Genus: Abantennarius
Species:
A. nummifer
Binomial name
Abantennarius nummifer
(G. Cuvier, 1817)
Synonyms [2]
  • Chironectes nummifer Cuvier, 1817
  • Antennarius nummifer (Cuvier, 1817)
  • Antennatus nummifer (Cuvier, 1817)
  • Chironectes chlorostygma Valenciennes, 1837
  • Chironectes bicornis Lowe, 1839
  • Antennarius sanguifluus D. S. Jordan, 1902

The spotfin frogfish (Abantennarius nummifer), also known as the big-spot angler, coin-bearing frogfish, darkspot frogfish, ocellated angler, ocellated fringed fishing frog, opulent frogfish, spotfin angler or white-finger anglerfish, is a species ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. The spotfin frogfish is found in scattered locations the eastern Atlantic, Indian and western Pacific Oceans.

Contents

Taxonomy

The spotfin frogfish was first formally described as Chironectes nummifer by the French zoologist Georges Cuvier with its type locality being unknown. [3] 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. [4]

Etymology

The spotfin frogfish 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 nummifer is a compound of nummis, meaning "coin", and fero, which means "to bear". This is an allusion to the large brown spot on the second dorsal fin. [5]

Description

The spotfin frogfish has 3 dorsal spines and a second dorsal fin which contains 12 or 13 soft rays while the anal fin contains 7 or 8 soft rays. The iliicium is about the same length as the second dorsal spine and bears an esca is bulb shaped with filaments running from it and it resembles a fat shrimp. [2] It has a caudal peduncle and the rear of the dorsal and anal fins are connected to the outer rays of the caudal fin by a membrane. The skin has no scales but is densely covered forked spinules. The pectoral fins are prehensile, have an elbow-like joint and have the gill opening on or near their base. [6] The overall colour may be yellow, rusty, pink or red with a brown or reddish brown head, fading to brown or greenish brown on the body and fines. There is a scattering of irregular, greenish white blotches over the whole body. The base of the second dorsal fin almost always has a dark spot surrounded by an indistinct greenish ring. [7] This species has a maximum total length of 13 cm (5.1 in). [2]

Distribution and habitat

The spotfin frogfish is found in the eastern and central Atlantic Ocean where it has been recorded from the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and Saint Helena. [1] In the Indian Ocean it has been recorded from the Red Sea south to Aliwal Shoal in South Africa, Madagascar, Mascarenes, Seychelles, Maldives, the Persian Gulf east to the Society Islands and Hawaiian Islands, south to Australia and northern New Zealand and north to Japan. [7] It is associated with reefs and is found as deep as 293 m (961 ft), although it is typically found as depths of less than 20 m (66 ft), with the Atlantic populations in deeper waters than those in the Pacific. t can be found in the intertidal zone on reefs in lagoons and on seaward reefs. [2]

Biology

The spotfin frogfish is oviparous, the females laying egg masses within ribbons of gelatinous mucus, known as an "egg rafts" or "veils". [2] An egg raft laid in captivity was found estimated to hold 48,000 eggs. The larvae are planktonic and settle onto the reef after 1 or 2 months. [6] It is piscivorous, attracting prey to within striking range of the mouth with its shrimp-like esca. [1]

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.

<i>Antennarius</i> Genus of fishes

Antennarius is a genus of anglerfish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. The fishes in this genus are found in warmer parts of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

<i>Antennatus</i> Genus of fishes

Antennatus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. The fishes in this genus are found the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

<i>Fowlerichthys</i> Genus of fishes

Fowlerichthys is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. The fishes in this genus are found the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

<i>Nudiantennarius</i> Species of fish

Nudiantennarius is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. The only species in the genus is Nudiantennarius subteres, the deepwater frogfish. This fish is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Abantennarius sanguineus</i> Species of fish

Abantennarius sanguineus, the bloody frogfish or sanguine frogfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. The sanguine frogfish is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

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

Randall's frogfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. This species is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

Abantennarius drombus, freckled frogfish or Hawaiian freckled frogfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. The freckled frogfish is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.

<i>Abantennarius coccineus</i> Species of fish

Abantennarius coccineus, the scarlet or freckled frogfish, is a species of frogfish originally classified as Chironectes coccineus and Antennarius coccineus. It lives within tropical waters and has a central distribution being around Indo-East-Pacific areas- excluding Hawaii. 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. 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). 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. 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. Similar to other frogfish species, the scarlet frogfish is a predatory carnivore and exhibits a low degree of sociality, only interacting with other scarlet frogfish during their mating period.

<i>Antennarius biocellatus</i> Species of fish

Antennarius biocellatus, the brackish water frogfish, brackish water anglerfish, freshwater frogfishtwinspot frogfish or fishing frog, is a species of euryhaline ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. This fish is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Antennarius indicus</i> Species of fish

Antennarius indicus, the Indian frogfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. The Indian frogfish is found in the Indian Ocean.

Abantennarius analis, the tailjet frogfish, tailjet anglerfish or dwarf frogfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. This species is found in the eastern Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

Abantennarius bermudensis, the island frogfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. The island frogfish is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Abantennarius dorehensis</i> Species of fish

Abantennarius dorehensis, the New Guinean frogfish, bandtail frogfish, Dorei frogfish or white-spotted frogfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. The New Guinean frogfish is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

<i>Abantennarius rosaceus</i> Species of fish

Abantennarius rosaceus, the rosy frogfish, rosy anglerfish, pink anglerfish or spiny tufted frogfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. The rosy frogfish is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

Antennatus strigatus, the bandtail frogfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frog fishes. This species is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

<i>Antennatus tuberosus</i> Species of fish

Antennatus tuberosus, the tuberculate anglerfish, pygmy angler, pygmy frogfish or tuberculated frogfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. This fish is found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

<i>Fowlerichthys senegalensis</i> Species of fish

Fowlerichthys senegalensis, the Senegalese frogfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. This fish is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of Africa.

<i>Abantennarius</i> Genus of fishes

Abantennarius is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. The fishes in the genus are found in the Indian, Pacific and, one species, in the Western Atlantic Oceans.

<i>Antennarius scaber</i> Species of fish

Antennarius scaber, the splitlure frogfish or strated frogfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. This species is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean and was previously considered to be a synonym of Antennarius striatus.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Knudsen, S. (2015). "Antennatus nummifer". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T67968894A46664264. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T67968894A46664264.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2024). "Abantennarius nummifer" in FishBase. February 2024 version.
  3. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Abantennarius". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  4. ↑ Nelson, J.S.; Grande, T.C.; Wilson, M.V.H. (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 508–518. doi:10.1002/9781119174844. ISBN   978-1-118-34233-6. LCCN   2015037522. OCLC   951899884. OL   25909650M.
  5. ↑ Christopher Scharpf (14 November 2022). "Order LOPHIIFORMES (part 1): Families LOPHIIDAE, ANTENNARIIDAE, TETRABRACHIIDAE, LOPHICHTHYIDAE, BRACHIONICHTHYIDAE, CHAUNACIDAE and OGCOCEPHALIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  6. 1 2 Dianne J. Bray & Vanessa J. Thompson. "Antennarius nummifer". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  7. 1 2 Theodore W Pietsch (2022). "Order Lophiiformes". In Phillip C Heemstra; Elaine Heemstra; David A Ebert; Wouter Holleman; John E Randall (eds.). Coastal Fishes of the Western Indian Ocean (PDF). Vol. 2. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. pp. 281–307. ISBN   978-1-990951-29-9.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.