Spotfin frogfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spotfin frogfish |
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The spotfin frogfish (Abantennarius nummifer) is a special type of ray-finned fish. People also call it the big-spot angler or coin-bearing frogfish. It belongs to a group of fish known as frogfishes. You can find the spotfin frogfish in different parts of the eastern Atlantic, Indian, and western Pacific Oceans.
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About the Spotfin Frogfish Name
The spotfin frogfish has a scientific name, Abantennarius nummifer. The first part, Abantennarius, comes from "ab" (meaning "away from") and "antennarius" (meaning a fish from the frogfish family). This name points out that its gill opening is not in the usual spot for frogfishes. It's a bit further away from its pectoral fins.
The second part of its name, nummifer, means "coin-bearing". This is because the fish often has a large, dark spot on one of its fins, which looks a bit like a coin.
What Does the Spotfin Frogfish Look Like?
The spotfin frogfish has a unique appearance. It has three spines on its back and a second fin with 12 or 13 soft rays. Its bottom fin has 7 or 8 soft rays.
One of its most interesting features is a special fishing rod-like part called an illicium. This "rod" is about the same length as its second back spine. At the end of this rod is a lure, called an esca, which looks like a fat shrimp. The frogfish uses this lure to attract its prey.
Its skin is not scaly but is covered in tiny, branched spines. The fins on its sides, called pectoral fins, can bend like an elbow. The gill opening is usually found near the base of these fins.
The color of the spotfin frogfish can vary a lot! It might be yellow, rusty, pink, or red. Its head is often brown or reddish-brown, fading to a greenish-brown on its body and fins. It also has irregular, greenish-white spots all over its body. Most of the time, you'll see a dark spot with a faint greenish ring at the base of its second back fin. This fish can grow up to about 13 centimeters (about 5 inches) long.
Where Do Spotfin Frogfish Live?
Spotfin frogfish live in many different ocean areas around the world.
- Atlantic Ocean: You can find them in the eastern and central Atlantic, including places like the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, and Saint Helena.
- Indian Ocean: They are found from the Red Sea down to South Africa, and near islands like Madagascar, the Mascarene Islands, and the Seychelles.
- Pacific Ocean: Their range extends east to the Society Islands and Hawaiian Islands, south to Australia and northern New Zealand, and north to Japan.
These fish usually live near coral reefs. While they can be found as deep as 293 meters (about 961 feet), they usually prefer shallower waters, less than 20 meters (about 66 feet) deep. The ones in the Atlantic tend to live in deeper areas than those in the Pacific. They can even be found in very shallow areas of reefs, like in lagoons.
Life Cycle and How They Eat
The spotfin frogfish lays eggs. The female fish releases her eggs in long, ribbon-like masses of jelly, which are sometimes called "egg rafts" or "veils." One egg raft seen in captivity was thought to hold about 48,000 eggs! The baby frogfish, called larvae, float in the ocean for one or two months before they settle down onto a reef.
Spotfin frogfish are piscivorous, meaning they eat other fish. They are clever hunters! They use their shrimp-like lure (the esca) to attract smaller fish close enough. Once a prey fish is near, the frogfish quickly strikes and swallows it.
