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Identification Key Frogfishes

Subtropical and sub-temperate Australia

Several very remarkable frogfish species live in Subtropical Australia (green area - the Great Australian Bight between Perth and Melbourne), most of them are endemic (=only exist in this area and nowhere else). Why these different species? Endemic species appear when they are separated and isolated from species related to them (for example on islands like the Galapagos). During the Pleistocene ice age sea levels fell and the supercontinent Sahul was formed with land bridging the gap between Australia and Tasmania (see animation) and thus isolating the area to the west.

Subtropical Australia has cold water and here some frogfish species show very interesting behavior, for example parental care for their eggs.

Unfortunately most of these species are rarely found by divers and so only few photos exist of them. Please write to me if you have a photo of one of the species listed here.

Occurence

Perth (subtropical): Allenichthys glauerti, Antennarius nummifer, Histiophryne cryptacanthus, Phyllophryne scortea, Rhycherus gloveri

Adelaide (sub-temperate): Allenichthys glauerti, Echinophryne crassispina, Echinophryne reynoldsi, Histiophryne bougainvilli, Histiophryne cryptacanthus, Phyllophryne scortea, Rhycherus filamentosus, Rhycherus gloveri

Melbourne (sub-temperate): Echinophryne crassispina, Echinophryne mitchelli, Echinophryne reynoldsi, Histiophryne bougainvilli, Histiophryne cryptacanthus, Kuiterichthys furcipilis, Phyllophryne scortea, Rhycherus filamentosus

Tasmania (sub-temperate): Echinophryne crassispina, Echinophryne mitchelli, Kuiterichthys furcipilis, Phyllophryne scortea

Sydney (subtropical): Antennarius nummifer, Antennarius sp1, Histiophryne bougainvilli, Kuiterichthys furcipilis

Anglerfish-Species of subtropical and sub-temperate Australia

Allenichthys glauerti is found rarely and lives in deep waters.

Allenichthys glauerti (Glauert's Frogfish)

		Information 19cm

Antennarius nummifer lives in the warmer water towards the north.

Antennarius nummifer (Spotfin frogfish)

		Information 10cm

The three species of Echinophryne only differ in the shape of the lure and the length of the dermal spinules and slightly in therri habitat and range. Echinophryne mitchelli differs from the other species, that it's skin is yellowish to green. Both Echinophryne mitchelli and Echinophryne crassispina have skin prickly with dermal spinules while Echinophryne reynoldsi has smaller dermal spinules and spots.

Echinophryne crassispina (Prickly Frogfish)

		Information 7cm

Echinophryne mitchelli (Mitchell's Frogfish or Long-spined anglerfish)

		Information 7-11cm

Echinophryne reynoldsi (Reynold's Frogfish, Sponge Anglerfish)

		Information 8-11cm

The two species of Histiophryne are very difficult to differ. If you see one of the more unusual colorings (small close-set red ocelli with a white margin) it is Histiophryne cryptacanthus.

Histiophryne bougainvilli (Bougainville's Frogfish or Smooth Angler)

		Information 6cm

Histiophryne cryptacanthus (Cryptic Frogfish)

		Information 9cm

This frogfish is very rare and has a very distinct look from other anglerfishes in this area - a large ocelli and a very thin second dorsal spine.

Kuiterichthys furcipilis (Rough Frogfish)

		Information 10-15cm

The smooth frogfish has very smooth skin nearly without any dermal spinules. It is also one of the more colorful frogfishes in southern Australia

Phyllophryne scortea (Smooth Frogfish, White-spotted Anglerfish)

		Information 8-10cm

The two species of Rhycherus Arten both have a lot of skin appendagesand skin flaps. They can only be told apart by the shape of their lure. R. gloveri is found in the western part of the Great Australian Bight, R. filamentosus in the middle and in the east of the Bay.

Rhycherus filamentosus (Tasseled Frogfish)

		Information 16-23cm

Rhycherus gloveri (Glover's Frogfish)

		Information 11-16cm

This frogfish species hasn't been described yet and has only been found around Sydney. It is usually grey to white with a redish margin on the fins.

Antennarius ? sp1 (Sydney Frogfish )

		Information 7.5cm

This identification key is only for species of the subfamily Antennariinae (frogfishes, family Antennariidae, suborder Antennarioidei) which are frogfishes living in tropical and Subtropical waters.
Please take note, that this is a simplified identification key. Ichthyologists use tables with the number of dorsal, anal and pectoral rays, the length of the illicium and other distinguishing characteristics for means of identification.