Frogfish

Some look like sponges, while others mimic algae-covered stones. Some even look just like seaweed—but no seaweed swallows victims in less than one-hundredth of a second.

Frogfish are close relatives of anglerfish,with which they share a number of characteristics. The most obvious of these is that they carry their own angling equipment in the form of a “rod and lure.” The rod consists of the first ray of the dorsal (back) fin while the lure, or bait, is a fleshy bit at the end that is used to attract prey. In the warty frogfish this lure not only looks like a fish, but is actually moved through the water as if it
were a small swimming fish.

Master Hunters
Apart from the Sargassum frogfish, frogfish are very poor swimmers.They spend their time on the bottom or “‘walking” over it using the pectoral (chest) and pelvic (hip) fins, which are muscular and can be moved like limbs. These allow frogfish to move around in search of a suitable hunting spot, undetected both by their prey and their own predators.

With their rod and lure, and some of the best camouflage in the fish world, it is hardly surprising that frogfish are such successful hunters. Some species can even change color over a period of hours to match their surroundings. In the case of the Sargassum frogfish, the body is mottled in such a way, and in such colors, that it blends in perfectly with the Sargassum seaweed in which it lives. It is therefore very difficult for a potential victim to spot this fish, even if it is only an inch or so away—by which time it is far too late.