David Hall's Encounters in the Sea Photography

Frogfish and Anglerfish

Frogfishes (family Antennaridae) are members of the larger anglerfish group (order Lophiiformes). These unusual-looking fishes possess a luring apparatus with which they attract prey. They are sedentary bottom-dwellers with effective camouflage, and with pectoral fins modified for use as "legs" for standing and walking on the bottom. They have huge mouths and are said to be capable of swallowing prey larger than themselves in as little as 6 milliseconds - one of the fastest known complex reflexes in the animal kingdom. There are 43 described species of frogfishes in 11 genera, with one or more species found in all tropical and subtropical seas, except for the Mediterranean. By far the greatest number of species are found in the region around Australia and Indonesia.

Longlure Frogfish, St. Vincent	Longlure Frogfish, Dominica	Longlure Frogfish, St. Vincent
Striated Frogfish, Indonesia	Tassled Anglerfish, Australia	Spiny Frogfish, Australia
Commerson's Frogfish, Indonesia	Commerson's Frogfish, Indonesia	Commerson's Frogfish, Indonesia
Warty Frogfish, Indonesia	Commerson's Frogfish, Indonesia	Warty Frogfish Pair, Indonesia
Longlure Frogfish Pair, Dominica	Painted Frogfish, Indonesia	Longlure Frogfish, Bonaire
Painted Frogfish, Indonesia	Hairy Frogfish, Indonesia	Painted Frogfish, Japan
Hairy Frogfish, Indonesia	Bloody Frogfish, Galapagos	Yawning Frogfish, Indonesia
Psychedelic Frogfish, Indonesia	Psychedelic Frogfish, Indonesia	Psychedelic Frogfish, Indonesia
Psychedelic Frogfish, Indonesia	Psychedelic Frogfish, Indonesia	Psychedelic Frogfish, Indonesia
Handfish, Tasmania	Batfish, Galapagos	Handfish, Tasmania
Tassled Anglerfish, Australia	Mated Frogfish Pair, Indonesia	Tassled Anglerfish, Australia
Reynold's Anglerfish, Australia	Spiny Anglerfish, Australia	Spiny Anglerfish, Australia
Bougainville's Frogfish, Australia	Bougainville's Frogfish, Australia	Smooth Anglerfish, Australia