Painted frogfish
Antennarius pictus
- Scientific name
- Antennarius pictus
- Group
- Reef fish
- Rarity
- Rare
- Where to see it
- Indo-Pacific & Red Sea, Mediterranean
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Least concern
Did you know?
The painted frogfish fishes with a built-in rod: it wiggles a fleshy lure at the tip of a modified dorsal fin ray to draw prey within reach. Once close enough, it swallows its target in a matter of milliseconds, one of the fastest strikes in the ocean.
What defines this group — Reef fish
The bony fish that live against coral and rock: the living backdrop of almost every dive.
- A bony skeleton, scales, and a rigid gill cover closing over the gills.
- A swim bladder acts as a float: they hold their depth without swimming.
- Many change colour, pattern — sometimes even sex — over the course of their life.
Other species in this group
- Ocellaris clownfish
- Blue tang
- Red lionfish
- Spot-fin porcupinefish
- Mediterranean moray
- Clark's anemonefish