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Identification Key Frogfishes

Hawaii

map of Hawaii / Karte von Hawaii

For a overwiew of all frogfishes from this area click here.

Question: Which size?

Over 10cm length

Antennarius commerson and Antennarius pictus are the frogfishes most commenly found in Hawaii. They like to sit on exposed areas and are quite large. Unfortunately they both belong to the so called Pictus-group and it is quite difficult to distinguish them. Means of identification for frogfishes of the Antennarius pictus group.

Antennarius commerson (Giant frogfish)

Antennarius commerson - Giant frogfish (Commerson's frogfish) - Riesen Anglerfisch

Information

30cm

Antennarius commerson - Giant frogfish (Commerson's frogfish) - Riesen Anglerfisch


Antennarius pictus (Painted frogfish)

Antennarius pictus - Painted frogfish - Rundflecken Anglerfisch (bemalter Fühlerfisch)

Information

10-16cm

Antennarius pictus - Painted frogfish - Rundflecken Anglerfisch (bemalter Fühlerfisch)

Over 10cm length and striped

Antennarius striatus and Histrio histrio are the only striped frogfishes in Hawaii. Histrio histrio has very large ventral fins. Antennarius striatus has a very large esca that looks like a worm.

Antennarius striatus (Striped or hairy frogfish)

Antennarius striatus - Striped Frogfish (Striated frogfish, Splitlure Frogfish, Zebra Frogfish, Hairy frogfish) - Gestreifter Anglerfisch (Streifen Anglerfisch)

Information

18-22cm

Antennarius striatus - Striped Frogfish (Striated frogfish, Splitlure Frogfish, Zebra Frogfish, Hairy frogfish) - Gestreifter Anglerfisch (Streifen Anglerfisch)

Antennarius striatus - Striped or striated frogfish (hairy frogfish) - Gestreifter Anglerfisch

Histrio histrio (Sargassumfish - Sargasso Anglerfisch)

Histrio histrio - Sargassum Frogfish (Sargassumfish) - Sargasso Anglerfisch

Information

20cm

Histrio histrio - Sargassum Frogfish (Sargassumfish) - Sargasso Anglerfisch

gray / hellgrau frogfish-Anglerfischgreen / grün frogfish-Anglerfisch

Around 10cm length

Abantennarius drombus and Abantennarius nummifer both belong to the genus Abantennarius (formerly Antennatus) and are difficult to distinguish from each other. Here some characteristics that might help with an identification:

Abantennarius drombus - Lacks distinct tail base (dorsal and anal fins end at base of tail fin)
Abantennarius nummifer - has a large darkly pigmented basidorsal spot. The lure can have different shapes, but is mostly small and most of the time round but sometimes with filaments and dark swellings.

Abantennarius drombus (Freckled Frogfish - Sommersprossen Anglerfisch)

Antennarius 
          dorehensis - New Guinea frogfish - Zwerg Anglerfisch (Neu Guinea Anglerfisch)

Information

3-8cm

Antennatus coccineus - Antennarius coccineus (Freckled frogfish, Scarlet frogfish - Sommersprossen Anglerfisch)


Abantennarius nummifer (Spotfin frogfish)

Antennarius 
        nummifer - Spotfin frogfish (coinbearing frogfish, whitefingered frogfish) - Rückenfleck Anglerfisch

Information

10cm

Antennarius 
        nummifer - Spotfin frogfish (coinbearing frogfish, whitefingered frogfish) - Rückenfleck Anglerfisch

Under 10cm length

The following frogfishes are very small and are often overlooked by divers. Only a few pictures exist - so if you have a photo, please write me.

Antennarius randalli is a tiny frogfish and is identified by the round white spots which are positioned on the body and on the tail.

Antennarius randalli (Randall's frogfish)

Antennarius randalli - Randall's frogfish - Randall's Anglerfisch

Information

1.5-2cm

Antennarius randalli - Randall's frogfish - Randall's Anglerfisch


Abantennarius analis (Tail-Jet Frogfish)

Antennarius analis - Tail-Jet Frogfish - Schwanz-Öffnung Anglerfisch

Information

3-7cm


Abantennarius duescus (Side-Jet frogfish)

Information

3cm


Antennatus linearis has a lot of very fine lines on the entire body.

Antennatus linearis (Pygmy frogfish)

Antennatus linearis

Information

7.5cm

Antennatus linearis


Antennatus tuberosus shows honeycomb patterns on its skin, its color is yellow, redish and pink and it has a striped tail.

Antennatus tuberosus (Bandfin frogfish)

Antennatus tuberosus - Tuberculated Frogfish (Bandfin Frogfish, Pygmy Frogfish)  - "Tuberkel" Anglerfisch (Schwanzstreifen Anglerfisch, Pygmäen Anglerfisch)

Information

7cm

Antennatus tuberosus - Tuberculated Frogfish, Bandfin Frogfish, Pygmy Frogfish - "Tuberkel" Anglerfisch)Antennatus tuberosus - Tuberculated Frogfish, Bandfin Frogfish, Pygmy Frogfish - "Tuberkel" Anglerfisch)

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.

I identified all frogfishes (anglerfishes) to my best knowledge. Frogfishes are specially difficult to identify (see tips for identification) so mistakes are possible of course! Please write to me, if you have any questions. Latin names according to the newest scientific findings, ITIS Standard Report and Fishbase.


. Copyright Teresa Zubi