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Species: Antennarius scaber, Splitlure Frogfish, Striated Frogfish

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2nd D spine: ~fishpole, connected to base 3rd spine by smooth membrane
body & D: thin dark irregular bars
D&A not connected to C
only 1 pelvic ray branched
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This Species (23) This Genus (3) Similar Species (6)

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Antennarius scaber (Cuvier, 1817)

Striated 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" 14-22% of SL, about as long as second dorsal spine; "lure" consists of 2 short cylindrical worm-like appendages; second dorsal spine ~straight, connected to head by a smooth membrane that is not divided by a patch of spines; 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 10-11;  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.

Yellow, orange, green, brown, grey, or almost white; head, body and fins  with thin brown or black irregular bars and spots; dark broken lines radiating from eye.

Size: attains 21 cm.

Habitat: reefs to sand and mud bottoms.

Depth: 0-219, usually below 30 m.

New York to southern Brazil.

Note: The Pacific sister species is A. striatus.

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Species Data Create Report Export as Word File Export as Excel File
Salinity
  • Marine Only
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Reef and soft bottom
  • Corals
  • Sand & gravel
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Mud
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Rocks
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Bony fishes
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Data
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • Circumtropical ( Indian + Pacific + Atlantic Oceans)
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • All species.
Regional Endemism
  • Extends North of GC
  • Island (s)
  • Extends South of GC
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Extends N + S of GC
  • All species..
  • GC non-endemic
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Temperate (>35N)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 21
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 219