Species: Antennarius multiocellatus, Longlure Frogfish
2nd D spine connected to head
Antennarius multiocellatus (Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1837)
Longlure frogfish
A globular somewhat compressed body; head not spiny; eyes on sides of head; a very large, upward directed mouth with many small teeth; a small round gill opening, below and behind pectoral base; dorsal rays I+I+I, 12; "fish-pole" long, 21-32% of SL, and twice length of 2nd dorsal spine; "lure" with a flattened flag-like appendage that is up to 45% of the length of the fish-pole; second dorsal spine slightly tapering, membrane behind it that connects it to head thin, covered with spinules, ends distinctly before 3rd spine; 3rd dorsal spine movable, not bound down by skin; limb-like pectoral fins with an "elbow" joint, that fin broadly connected to body; anal rays 7; pectoral rays 10 (rarely 11-13); tail base present, dorsal and anal fins not connected to tail fin; pelvic fins short, with 4 unbranched and 1 branched rays; skin of body rough, covered with close-set, double-pointed spicules; head and body partly covered by rounded wart-like swellings.
Solid red or mottled brown and tan or dark brown, occasionally white with dark mottled lines, with circular pale-ringed blackish spots, usually a vertical row of three dark spots near end of tail, a row of dark spots along dorsal fin and large ocelli at center of base of soft dorsal fin and of anal fin; a small bright white saddle on tail base, and an irregular pale bar on body just before soft dorsal fin.
Size: attains 14.3 cm.
Habitat: reefs; the commonest frogfish on Caribbean reefs.
Depth: 0-66 m, but usually at < 10 m.
New York to Brazil.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Habitat
-
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Reef only
- Rocks
- Corals
- FishBase Habitat
-
- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
-
- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
-
- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
-
- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
-
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- All species.
- Regional Endemism
-
- Continent + Island (s)
- All species..
- Island (s)
- Extends North of GC
- Also in Brazil
- Extends South of GC
- Continent
- GC non-endemic
- Extends N + S of GC
- Residency
-
- Resident
- Climate Zone
-
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Temperate (>35N)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- IUCN Red List
-
- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
-
- 14.3
- Depth Range Min
-
- 0
- Depth Range Max
-
- 66
