Many divers travel to Indonesia and the Philippines in the hope of seeing frogfish. Loved by divers, around 50 species of these weird and wonderful fish have so far been described. However, if you would like to see some really unique and unusual frogfish, you need to head to Australia, as the nation is blessed with the largest variety of these cute fish, including more than a dozen species that are endemic and only found Down Under. Nigel Marsh has the story.
Red-fingered frogfish in Botany Bay, Sydney
Contributed by
Frogfish are found in both tropical and temperate waters around Australia. Researchers have identified 28 species of frogfish in Australian waters, including most of the tropical species that are popular in Indonesia and the Philippines, like the hairy frogfish, painted frogfish, giant frogfish and warty frogfish. However, Australia also has 13 species that are endemic and unique, and these are the species that this article covers.
Frogfish vs. anglerfish
Before we look at the unique Aussie frogfish, let’s discuss their names. There seems to be a bit of a naming issue in Australia, with some people calling them “frogfish” and others calling them “anglerfish”. So, which is correct?
Well, that depends on whom you talk to. In my opinion, “frogfish” is correct. This is because the name “anglerfish” is used to cover the entire teleost order Lophiiformes, which contains 18 families of fish that all typically have a head lure to attract prey. Anglerfishes come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Some are pelagic, some live in deep waters, and some bury in the sand. Other anglerfish families include the handfish, prickly seadevils, warty seadevils and monkfish.
Of all the anglerfish families, the frogfish (family: Antennariidae) are the ones most loved by divers. Like other anglerfish, they are ambush predators, using their camouflaged skin colours and fleshy filaments to conceal their presence. They suck down fish and crustaceans that are attracted by flicks of their head lure. These remarkable fish have hand-like fins, so they walk across the bottom rather than swim. Frogfish do not move around much, so they are often seen in one location for months. They are also short-lived, with most small frogfish only living one to two years, and larger species up to five years.
Hard to spot
Whether you call them frogfish or anglerfish, everyone agrees these weird little fish are very special, and an encounter with one always makes a dive more memorable. The only problem can be finding them.
Most of the tropical species that are mentioned above are camouflaged and difficult to spot, and they are the more obvious ones. However, finding the endemic Australian species is much harder, as not only are they well camouflaged, but some are small and others hide completely out of sight.
Of the 13 unique Australian frogfish, I have only encountered five species, and not for want of looking. So, let me tell you about the ones I have been able to find.
Red-fingered frogfish
One of the first frogfish I ever encountered was the red-fingered frogfish (Porophryne erythrodactylus). This was back in the 1980s when I lived in Sydney and regularly dived Botany Bay. At that time, I had only seen one other species, the hairy or striate frogfish (Antennarius striatus), at other sites in Sydney, and it was a well-known species. However, when I saw this strange-looking frogfish with red tips on its fins, I did not know what it was. I could not find the frogfish in any guidebook at the time, and that was because it was not described until 2014!
It is now known that the red-fingered frogfish is only found in New South Wales, between Sydney and Jervis Bay. However, the only place where they are regularly seen is at Kurnell and Bare Island in Botany Bay. The red-fingered frogfish looks very similar to the sponges that decorate the reefs in this area, and most are either grey or orange in colour. They grow to 7.5cm long, and though small, they are one of the easier species to find, as they sit out in the open next to similarly coloured sponges and algae.
Tasselled frogfish
One of the most highly camouflaged members of the frogfish family is the bizarre tasselled frogfish (Rhycherus filamentosus). This frogfish is covered in the most elaborate fleshy growths that exactly match the shape and colour of the red algae it likes to sit on. The tasselled frogfish grows to 23cm in length, and considering its size and its habit of sitting on exposed algae, you would think it would be an easy species to find. However, its camouflage is so good that most divers swim straight past these frogfish.
The tasselled frogfish is a temperate species, like most of Australia’s endemic frogfish, and is only found off South Australia, Victoria and northern Tasmania. Within that area, they are locally common, with the best places to find one being under one of the many jetties of South Australia, or under one of the piers in Port Phillip Bay. I have found them a very difficult and elusive frogfish to find. Over six dive trips to the area where they live, I have only managed to find one, at Blairgowrie Pier, south of Melbourne.
Whitespotted frogfish
The whitespotted frogfish (Phyllo-phryne scortea), a very cryptic member of the family, likes to hide under rocks, old shells and other debris. This makes them incredibly difficult to find. The whitespotted frogfish grows to 10cm in length and can be coloured white, grey, yellow, orange, brown or black, whatever colour helps it blend into its surroundings. Some have white spots or blotches, hence the name, while others are spotless. The whitespotted frogfish has two large dorsal spines on its head, which look like fleshy horns. And its lure looks like an amphipod, which it uses to attract gobies to prey on.
The whitespotted frogfish is a temperate species, reported to be found off southern New South Wales through to South Australia. However, most divers encounter them under a few special jetties on the Yorke Peninsula. On my first dive trip to the Yorke Peninsula, I could not find even one of these secretive little fish. However, on a recent visit, I found eight whitespotted frogfish over five dives, under Edithburgh Jetty and Port Hughes Jetty.
Prickly frogfish
The prickly frogfish (Echino-phryne crassispina) is one of the smallest endemic frogfish, only growing to 7cm long. This is another secretive species that likes to hide, so encounters are few and far between. The prickly frogfish has a distinctive prickly skin, formed by spinules over its body. This species is often a red or orange colour, with patches of lighter marbling on its head or body.
A temperate species, the prickly frogfish is found off South Australia and Victoria, and possibly off Tasmania and southern New South Wales. This is another species of endemic frogfish that is mostly seen under jetties, hiding under rocks and debris. I have only found one prickly frogfish, and it was at the best place to see one, under the always brilliant Edithburgh Jetty.
Glauert’s frogfish
The strangest and rarest Aussie frogfish I have found so far is the very weird Glauert’s frogfish (Allenichthys glauerti). I was diving a reef covered in seaweeds and sponges off Bunbury, Western Australia, when I found a sponge with an eye. Now, sponges typically have several holes to filter water, and several frogfish mimic this look, developing hole-like patterns on their skin. For almost a minute, I closely studied this sponge, slowly working out that it had a mouth, fins and a head lure. It finally dawned on me that I had found the elusive Glauert’s frogfish.
The Glauert’s frogfish is only found off southern Western Australia and South Australia, though most sightings have been between Busselton and Perth. This species mostly mimics sponges, but I have seen photos of one that had the same colour and pattern as an ascidian. The Glauert’s frogfish grows to 19cm long. Very confident of its camouflage, this frogfish boldly sits in sponge gardens, waiting for small fish to get close so they can be snatched.
With eight more unique Aussie frogfish still for me to find and photograph, I know I will have many interesting Australian dive adventures in the coming years, looking for these weird and wonderful fish. ■
