Antennarius coccineus (Hawaiian frogfish)
Luzon Island, Philippines
This highly unusual predator is a type of anglerfish, commonly known in this case as a "frogfish" (Antennarius coccineus). I found it diving off a vertical wall in about 35 feet of water, during a night dive at one of the Capone Islands. The frogfish was perfectly motionless as I passed by, looking for small subjects (this fish is about 5 inches long). At first, I didn't notice it, since its reddish-orange color blended well with the surrounding orange sponges. Luckily I was scanning the reef carefully, paying close attention as the beam from my dive light passed a second time. I noticed the frogfish and took a series of shots it crawled at an almost imperceptible pace across the reef wall.
Jeffrey N. Jeffords (photographer; copyright holder; identification)
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To cite this page: Jeffords, J.2004. "Frogfish.jpg" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed February 06, 2025 at https://animaldiversity.org/collections/contributors/jeffrey_jeffords/fish/Frogfish/
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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Grants DRL 0089283, DRL 0628151, DUE 0633095, DRL 0918590, and DUE 1122742. Additional support has come from the Marisla Foundation, UM College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, Museum of Zoology, and Information and Technology Services.
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