Painted frogfish

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Painted frogfish
Antennarius pictus - Painted FrogFish.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Lophiiformes
Family: Antennariidae
Genus: Antennarius
Species:
A. pictus
Binomial name
Antennarius pictus
(Shaw, 1794)
Synonyms [2]
  • Lophius pictus Shaw, 1794
  • Lophius chironectes Latreille, 1804
  • Antennarius chironectes (Latreille, 1804)
  • Chironectes verus Cloquet, 1817
  • Chironectes leprosus Eydoux & Souleyet, 1850
  • Antennarius leprosus (Eydoux & Souleyet, 1850)
  • Antennarius polyophthalmus Bleeker, 1852
  • Antennarius horridus Bleeker, 1853
  • Lophiocharon horridus (Bleeker, 1853)

The painted frogfish (Antennarius pictus), or spotted frogfish, black angler or painted anglerfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. This species is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

Contents

Taxonomy

The painted frogfish was first formally described as Lophius pictus in 1794 by the English biologist George Shaw with its type locality given as Tahiti in the Society Islands. [3] Within the genus Antennarius the painted frogfish belongs to the pictus species group. [4] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the genus Antennarius in the family Antennariidae within the suborder Antennarioidei within the order Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes. [5]

Etymology

The painted frogfish has the genus name Antennarius which suffixes -ius to antenna, an allusion to first dorsal spine being adapted into a tentacle on the snout used as a lure to attract prey. The specific name pictus means "painted", the body being described by Shaw as being brown marked with red-margined yellowish blotches. [6]

Description

The painted frogfish has a maximum published total length of 30 cm (12 in). [2] Like other members of its family, it has a globulous, extensible body, with soft skin is covered with small dermal spinules. Its skin is covered partially with few, small, wart-like protuberances, some variably shaped, scab-like blotches and many small eye spots (ocelli) which look like sponges holes. Its large prognathous mouth allows it to consume prey its same size. [7]

The coloring of the body is extremely variable because they always tend to match their living environments. Frogfishes have the capacity to change coloration and pigment pattern in few weeks. However, the dominant coloration goes from white to black, passing through a whole range of related nuances such as cream, pink, yellow, red, and brown, usually with circular eye spots darker than the background color and/or with saddles and blotches. Some specimens can easily be confused with Antennarius maculatus . [8]

These characteristics can help to separate the two close species: usually, A. maculatus has red or orange margins on all fins, and sometimes a spike of the saddle blotch starts posterior to the eye, numerous warts on the skin, and few or no ocellis; A. pictus has also three eye spots on its caudal fin. [7]

Juveniles can have a dark background color with small yellow spots. [8]

The first dorsal spine, the illicium, is modified and is used as a fishing rod. Its extremity is endowed with a characteristic esca (lure), which looks like a small fish with a pinkish to brownish coloration. The illicium is twice the length of the second dorsal spine and its often darkly banded. The second dorsal spine is practically straight and is mobile, and the third one is bent towards the back of the body; both are membranously attached to the head. They are well separated from each other and from the dorsal fin. [9]

The pectoral fins of frogfishes are angled and help, with the pelvic fins, to move the frogfish on the bottom and to keep a stable position for ambush. [10]

Distribution and habitat

The painted frogfish has a wide distribution in the tropical and subtropical waters from the Indo-Pacific area, along the eastern African coast between the Gulf of Aqaba [1] south to the Aliwal Shoal off South Africa, [11] east to Hawaii and the Society Islands, north to Jeju Island in Korea and the Ryukyu Islands and south to Western Australia's Houtman Abrolhos and Lord Howe Island. [1] It is found on sheltered rocky and coral reefs, and adults are usually associated with sponges down to 75 m (246 ft) deep, with an average occurrence at 15 m (49 ft). [7]

Biology

The painted frogfish, like all frogfishes, is a voracious carnivore, an ambush predator, which can attack all small animals that pass within its "strike range", mainly fishes, but even sometimes congeners. Its prey can be close to its own size. Like other members of its family, the painted frogfish has a benthic and solitary lifestyle. They gather during mating period, but do not tolerate each other any more after the act of fertilization. The male can kill or eat the female if she stays too close. [9] The sexes are separate, the eggs are laid in a gelatinous raft, they remain in this raft until they hatch, the larvae remain pelagic for the first two months of their lives. [8] This species prefers to live on or near colorful sponges and have the ability to change their skin colour to camouflage themselves to their background. [4]

Utilization

The painted frogfish is of no interest to fisheries but is occasionally featured in the aquarium trade. [8]

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">Striated frogfish</span> Species of fish

The striated frogfish or hairy frogfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. This species is found in the Indo-Pacific and eastern Atlantic Ocean.

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

Commerson's frogfish or the giant frogfish, Antennarius commerson,, is a species of euryhaline ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. This fish is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

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

The longlure frogfish, also known as the flagpole frogfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. This species is found in the western Atlantic. The longlure frogfish mimics its background habitat of sponges.

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

The warty frogfish or clown frogfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. The warty frogfish is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

<i>Histiophryne</i> Genus of fishes

Histiophryne is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the subfamily Histiophryninae in the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. These fishes are 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.

<i>Antennarius</i> Genus of fishes

Antennarius is a genus marine ray-finned fishes 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.

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

The shaggy frogfish, also known as the hispid frogfish, shaggy anglerfish or zebra anglerfish, is a marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. This fish is found in the Indo-Pacific.

<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 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.

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

Antennarius pardalis, the leopard frogfish or peixe pescador, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. This species is found in the eastern 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>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 avalonis</i> Species of frogfish

Fowlerichthys avalonis, the roughbar frogfish or roughjaw frogfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Antennariidae, the frogfishes. This fish is found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, where it is the most widespread frogfish species.

<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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Pietsch, T. (2022). "Antennarius pictus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T67968922A67970917. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T67968922A67970917.en . Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  2. 1 2 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2024). "Antennarius pictus" in FishBase. February 2024 version.
  3. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Antennarius". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Antennarius pictus". www.frogfish.ch. Teresa Zubi. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ 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 30 March 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 "Facts about Clown Frogfish (Antennarius maculatus) - Encyclopedia of Life". Eol.org. 2013-04-25. Retrieved 2013-09-03.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Dianne J. Bray & Vanessa J. Thompson. "Antennarius pictus". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  9. 1 2 Pietsch & Grobecker, ‘’Frogfishes of the world’’, Stanford University Press, 1987, ISBN   9780804712637
  10. ↑ Casey Patton. "Longlure Frogfish". Discover Fishes. Florida Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  11. ↑ 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.
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