Longlure frogfish

Longlure frogfish
Antennarius multiocellatus
Max. size: 18 cm

 

Geographical distribution:
It is found in the eastern and western Atlantic Ocean, in the Caribbean region and from Northern Carolina to Venezuela via the Bahamas and the Gulf of Mexico. 

 

Biology:
This strange fish lives in the coral reefs or amongst rocks.  Its mouth opens upwards and its skin is naked, smooth and bumpy.  It has the gift of mimicry, which means that it can change colour to blend in with its environment.  It moves around using its strong pectoral fins, which look like feet.  Rather sinister-looking, the longlure frogfish never goes out without its fishing rod: it waves a lure attached to the top of its head which attracts fish so that it can snap them up.  The prey can be as big as the frogfish itself, which has a mouth that opens very wide and a voracious appetite!
It is not very good at swimming but can flee backwards by sucking in water, which it then ejects through its small siphon-shaped branchial openings.
 

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