Striated Frogfish? (Striate Anglerfish/ Frogfish)

[ginko]

I found this little fellow in middle harbour - dead and floating over a sand flat.   I think it is a striated frogfish.  Those guys are pretty fluffy underwater.  It was hard to see any fluffiness on this guy - he appeared to be smooth-skinned.  Very blue eye!  The pics were taken on the blade of a paddle- so fish is maybe 10-15cm?

 

 

Edited September 2, 2019 by Blackfish

[ginko]

I had to check this again - in fact I think the same fish (Antennarius striatus ) is listed as striated anglerfish and striated frogfish. It certainly had little "arms" and almost legs on its body.

http://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/3832

 

[Yowie]

I think it is a species of Anglerfish that uses the strong fins on the underneath part of the body to walk along the ocean floor. 

Similar to Handfish and Frogfish species.

Edited August 24, 2019 by Yowie

[masterfisho7]

On 8/23/2019 at 10:18 PM, ginko said:

I found this little fellow in middle harbour - dead and floating over a sand flat.   I think it is a striated frogfish.  Those guys are pretty fluffy underwater.  It was hard to see any fluffiness on this guy - he appeared to be smooth-skinned.  Very blue eye!  The pics were taken on the blade of a paddle- so fish is maybe 10-15cm?

 

 

In all my years of fishing I have never seen one love the photos 

[Hunkgarian]

These Striated Anglerfish also come in different colours such as this form, yellow and other in between! We used to photograph them at Shiprock in Port Hacking and at times in the harbour.  The Americans and in the South Pacific they are referred to as "frogfish" most likely for the way they walk, but no common name is better than what we use in Australia - Striated Anglerfish. As technically, they are anglers, using their ilicium (rod) and esca (lure) to fool unsuspecting fish that they suck in extremely fast. I always disliked the common name frogfish, as we already have the Eastern Frogfish (Batrachomoeus dubious, I think from memory) that is a frogfish in Oz. 


Here is a video from the Smithsonian where you can see a similar anglerfish (oh hell they call it a frogfish and I am cringing). But it's so amazing
 

 

Edited September 17, 2020 by Amatteroflight

[Yowie]

On 9/17/2020 at 7:58 PM, Amatteroflight said:

We used to photograph them at Shiprock in Port Hacking

Not far away, over the sand banks of Maianbar, I have seen them, after big seas outside, floating along with the rolling clumps of kelp on the run up tide. Seem to swim inside the kelp for protection. Have also found some Fortescues in the kelp clumps.

[Hunkgarian]

On 9/22/2020 at 7:53 PM, Yowie said:

Not far away, over the sand banks of Maianbar, I have seen them, after big seas outside, floating along with the rolling clumps of kelp on the run up tide. Seem to swim inside the kelp for protection. Have also found some Fortescues in the kelp clumps.

I am thinking, strange as it may sound, that those were Sargassum Fish (look like an Antenariid - anglerfish) rather than anglers. Unless they happen to be juveniles, and I am not particularly familiar with juvenile dispersal of anglers.

 

 

https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/3837

[Yowie]

9 hours ago, Amatteroflight said:

I am thinking, strange as it may sound, that those were Sargassum Fish (look like an Antenariid - anglerfish) rather than anglers. Unless they happen to be juveniles, and I am not particularly familiar with juvenile dispersal of anglers.

 

 

https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/3837

A bit hard to tell at times, as the fish are rather small, and I was wearing my reading glasses at the time. 😁