Identification Game

[andywg]

Well, does anyone have any idea what species this little fellow is:

I am stuck between Antennarius maculatus and Antennarius pictus. It doesn't seem to have enough warts to be A. maculatus though it is still young and they may yet develop. The markings appear to be more similar to patterns found on A. pictus, though going on markings is always a bad idea in fish that show such diverse colouring and patterns as frogfish.

Apparently the main differences between A. maculatus and A. pictus are that the former has a more club-like second dorsal spine (the front one - remember the first spine is the ilicium, or rod, used for luring) with a narrow base and swollen towards the end and the membrane stretches from the tip of the second dorsal spine to the base of the third dorsal spine.

Looking at the fish above, I would say the membrane is not actually reaching the third spine, but just a little in front.

For comparison, view the A. maculatus I had for a short while:

Once can see that the above frogfish is far more warty, but there isn't a huge amount of difference in the membranes. However, I feel there is a more pronounced difference in the second dorsal shape, though any differences could be down to the young age of the new frogfish.

And, in case anyone is interested in where the frogfish lives, it's in the fuge. In the pic below he is in the far left corner.

 

[dthoffsett]

I have no idea on the id, but he's adorable, in an ugly sort of way.

 

[guppy_man]

haven't a clue but it looks awsum, like an underwater lizard

 

[Fella]

I've got to hand it to you Andy, he looks amazing, regardless of what he is. He has toes! A fish with toes!

 

[paul_219]

I dont know. I guess it is from out of space.

 

[LondonDragon]

WOW those are amazing! Never seen anything like it! Good luck with the ID!

 

[matt295]

do they live in SW or FW. i think SW but not entirely sure

 

[RadaR]

It's trickey. I really think you'll have to wait until it grows and then hopefully there will be a clearer indication.
Andy, you seem to get quite a few of these. Do you come by them frequently where you are?

 

[dthoffsett]

do they live in SW or FW. i think SW but not entirely sure

They're SW.

 

[mlawson]

It's trickey. I really think you'll have to wait until it grows and then hopefully there will be a clearer indication.
Andy, you seem to get quite a few of these. Do you come by them frequently where you are?

Yeah I've never seen frogfish at my LFS. Nice find, personally I have absoloute 0 knowledge on these fish so wouldn't have a hope in hell of ID'ing them, by the looks of it you probably have the best idea of which species it is. Are they undemanding in terms of conditons and how much do they normally cost?

 

[andywg]

It's trickey. I really think you'll have to wait until it grows and then hopefully there will be a clearer indication.
Andy, you seem to get quite a few of these. Do you come by them frequently where you are?

There are always a few at TMC, I just get my lfs to pick them up when he is there. It's more a matter of actually wanting them and sending someone out specifically to get them. Expect to see a few more in the coming months if all goes to plan. As well as space in the fuge, I have two spare SW tanks at the moment crying out for stock.

Yeah I've never seen frogfish at my LFS. Nice find, personally I have absoloute 0 knowledge on these fish so wouldn't have a hope in hell of ID'ing them, by the looks of it you probably have the best idea of which species it is. Are they undemanding in terms of conditons and how much do they normally cost?

They can be a pain to get onto dead foods. They also seem to prefer a more mature system. They are not hugely demanding as far as SW fish go, but you have to be careful not to overfeed them, and obviously tank mates are always risky as the frogfish will eat fish far too large and then die from the prey decomposing in the gut prior to digestion. All frogfish can eat prey larger than themselves, with some swallowing prey twice as large in one gulp.

I have paid between £35 and £56 for the frogs I have owned. I would like to try breeding some in the near future, though as you can guess, trying to get a pair in an animal where each partner can swallow the other whole is a little daunting.

 

[poopsydrew]

Amazing Andy,
Silly question, they really do seem to have "toes" (at least in the pic) Do they swim mid -level or bottom? Do they use those "Toes"? How large do they get? This is so interesting.

Drew

 

[andywg]

Amazing Andy,
Silly question, they really do seem to have "toes" (at least in the pic) Do they swim mid -level or bottom? Do they use those "Toes"? How large do they get? This is so interesting.

Drew

The "toes" are the ends of modified rays in the pectoral and pelvic fins. The fish walk along the bottom on these fins. They can swim off the bottom which is achieved by swinging the caudal fin and expelling jets of water through their gill openings underneath each "armpit".

Size varies from species to species. The smaller ones in the trade (such as Antennarius dorehensis or Antennatus tuberosis) will barely attain 1" or so whereas the larger species (such as Antennarius commerson - an outide possibility of what my new frog is)get to a foot in length and the size of a housecat.

 

[matt295]

we have a couple of black frogfish at my lfs, they have been there a while now

 

[andywg]

Ok, well I have looked around and posted on a specialist SW pred forum and we are now leaning back to A. maculatus. A very well respected frogfish keeper from GR and RC reckons it is a colour phase of a black A. maculatus and I am very much agreeing. The thing looks more warty every time I look at it, and if anyone has Reef Fishes Volume 1 (and if you keep SW you really should ) then it looks identical to the middle, intermediate phase, picture of an A. maculatus changing colour from black with orange spots to orange with black spots.

If it is A. maculatus then I will be happy as I plan to have a go at putting a 2 or 3 frogs in this fuge and seeing if I can't get a pair.