Commerson's frogfish
| Commerson's frogfish | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Commerson's frogfish ( Antennarius commerson ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Antennarius commerson | ||||||||||||
| ( Lacépède , 1798) |
Commerson's frogfish ( Antennarius commerson ), also known as the giant frogfish , is the largest frogfish (Antennariidae) with a maximum length of 38 centimeters . It belongs to the group of closely related species around the painted frogfish ( Antennarius pictus ).
features
The giant frogfish is taller than most of its relatives. It can be light gray, yellow, red, green or black in color. The skin can also be irregularly or regularly spotted. Commerson's frogfish camouflage themselves as sponges in color and shape . Like other frogfish, it can change color. The second dorsal fin spine is covered by a thick skin and forms a large head hump with it. Its fishing rod (Illicium) is only short, the bait (Esca) is a fleshy tuft.
distribution
The fish live in the Red Sea , the Indian Ocean and the Pacific , from Japan to Hawaii and Panama . They stay in shallow water, at depths of one to fifty meters, in lagoons , coral reefs , but also on the pillars of port facilities, always near sponges.
literature
- Hans A. Baensch , Robert A. Patzner: Mergus sea water atlas. Volume 6: Non-Perciformes (non-perch-like). Mergus-Verlag, Melle, ISBN 3-88244-116-X .
