Species: Fowlerichthys ocellatus, Ocellated Frogfish

Fowlerichthys ocellatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Ocellated 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,13; "fish-pole" is 9-15% of SL, about equal to length of second dorsal spine; "lure" is a cluster of elongate filaments; second dorsal spine strongly curved, membrane behind it that connects it to head is divided into upper and lower smooth sections by a dense cluster of spicules; 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 8; pectoral rays 12 (rarely 11-13); pelvic fins short, with all 5 rays branched; tail base present, dorsal and anal fins not connected to tail fin; skin of body rough, covered with close-set, double-pointed spicules.

Orange to mottled yellow-brown; with three large conspicuous ocelli - 1 on lower middle of dorsal fin, 1 on mid-body under the dorsal-fin spot, and 1 on center of tail fin; numerous small dark spots on lower head and body.

Size: attains 42 cm, the largest Caribbean frogfish.

Habitat: usually shell, mud and sand bottoms, but also on reefs.

Depth: 1-150 m, usually around 50 m.

New York to Brazil.