Blog Post Thirty-One
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You are looking at the Commerson’s frogfish, Antennarius commerson, or Giant frogfish. It’s skin is partially covered with a few small wart-like spots, patches that look like scabs, and a few small false eye spots made to look holes in sponges. These fish have the ability to change their color. However, it is not fast and often takes a few weeks to complete. Juveniles will start out bright yellow then will adopt an adult coloration. Typically they are brown (light/dark), green, red, blue-gray, orange, dull yellow, purple, pink, and or black.
The frogfish are not great swimmers. So they have an adaptation that allows them to actually walk with modified pectoral (side) fins. The rays in the fins have joints similar to toes. These allow the fish to grip the seabed and walk or jump along the bottom. Frogfish will suck in large amounts of water and then expel it through their gills. This gives them a sort of jet like propulsion to get around.
They are great anglers. The frogfish is an ambush predator, and is often seen sitting very still like a statue before they strike. There is a dangling lure that is attached to the first ray of the dorsal fin. The fish will dangle it out in front of its mouth to lure in prey. When the prey come close, the frogfish will push its jaw outward, open it’s mouth, and create a sudden suction. The fish are not able to escape that suction and in the mouth it goes. Frogfish have an expandable belly and can eat fish that may be twice their size. Sometimes they try for larger prey and then need to cough them out.
The frogfish can live to around 20 years. They will grow up to about 15 inches in length. As far as predators, frogfish do not have many. In fact, they really only need to worry about other frogfish attacking them. They do not tolerate one another well. Especially after mating, the female will eat or kill the male if he stays close.
This amazing adult Frogfish specimen was photographed during a custom private snorkel tour off the coast of Maui Hawaii in 2024.