Commerson's frogfish

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Commerson's frogfish

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Lophiiformes
Family: Antennariidae
Genus: Antennarius
Species:
A. commerson
Binomial name
Antennarius commerson
(Lacépède, 1798)
The Commerson's frogfish changes its colour through a range of hues, and uses its pelvic fins to walk on the bottom and keep a stable position for ambush

Commerson's frogfish or the giant frogfish, Antennarius commerson, , is a species of

Antennariidae, the frogfishes. This fish is found in the Indo-Pacific
region.

Taxonomy

Commerson's frogfish was first formally

Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes.[4]

Etymology

Antennarius commerson has the genus name Antennarius which suffixes -ius to

Philibert Commerçon, the French naturalist whose note Lacépède used to describe this species in 1798 and propose the French name Lophie commerson, this was latinised in a book written anonymously in the same year, although name is often erroneously attributed to Pierre André Latreille in 1804.[5]

Description

Commerson's frogfish grows up to 38 cm (15 in). Like other members of its family, it has a globular, extensible body. The soft skin is covered with small dermal

prognathous
, allowing it to consume prey as large as itself. Their coloration is extremely variable, as they tend to match their environments. Frogfish can change their coloration in a few weeks. However, the dominant coloration goes from grey to black, passing through a whole range of related hues, such as cream, pink, yellow, red, and brown, and also usually with circular eye spots or blotches that are darker than the background. Juvenile specimens can easily be confused with related
Antennarius pictus
. To distinguish these species, A. maculatus usually has red or orange margins on all fins, while A. maculatus has numerous warts on the skin, and A. pictus is covered with ocelli. A. pictus has three eye spots on its
caudal fin.[6]

The first dorsal spine, the

esca (lure), which resembles a small fish or shrimp with a pinkish to brownish coloration. The illicium is twice the length of the second dorsal spine and is often darkly banded. The second dorsal spine is practically straight and is mobile, the third one is bent towards the back of the body, and both are membranously attached to the head. They are well separated from each other and also from the dorsal fin.[7]

Distribution and habitat

Antennarius commerson lives in the

subtropical waters from the Indian Ocean to the eastern coasts of the Pacific Ocean.[8] It is found in lagoons and sheltered rocky and coral reefs. They are usually associated with big sponges, on underwater ropes, on jetty pillars, or any structures down to 70 m (230 ft) deep, with an average occurrence at 20 m (66 ft) deep.[9]

Feeding and behavior

As all

fertilization. The female can kill or eat the male if he stays close.[7] It uses a small tuft of flattened appendage as a fishing lure.[10]

References

  1. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T67968507A67970897.en
    . Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  2. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Antennarius". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  3. ^ "(Latreille, 1804) Giant Frogfish (Commerson's Frogfish) - Riesen Anglerfisch". www.frogfish.ch. Teresa Zubi. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  4. 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 27 March 2024.
  6. ^ EOL: Frogfishes
  7. ^
    ISBN 9780804712637
    .
  8. ^ EOL: Frogfish: distribution
  9. ^ EOL: Frogfish: habitat
  10. ^ Dianne J. Bray & Vanessa J. Thompson, 2011, Giant Anglerfish, Antennarius commerson, in Fishes of Australia, accessed 07 Oct 2014, http://www.fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/2846

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Antennarius commerson.
Wikispecies has information related to Antennarius commerson.
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