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Order Lophiiformes(anglerfishes) Family Antennariidae(Frogfishes)
Shaggy frogfish
Antennarius hispidus(Bloch & Schneider, 1801) 45 cm TL
Korean name/jul-ssin-baeng-i
Japanese name/Sôshi-izariuo
Chinese name/毛躄魚
D/spine 3, soft rays 11~13. A/6~7. P1/10~11. P2/spine Ⅰ, soft rays 5
Distribution; Indo-West Pacific/East Africa, India, and Malaysia to the Moluccas, north to Taiwan, Japan and southern Korea, south to northern Australia. Single record from Fiji. Appears to be absent from oceanic islands of the Indian Ocean.
General; Like other members of its family, it has a globulous, extensible body. with very small eye placed upper side of head. Its soft but rough skin is covered with small dermal spinules. The skin can also be adorned, but not systematically, with cutaneous appendages reminding one of hairs. Its large mouth is prognathous and allows it to gobble up prey as large as it. With rows of comb like teeth on both jaws, vomer and palatine.
The coloring of their bodies is extremely variable because they always tend to match their living environments. However, the dominant coloration goes from yellow to brownish-orange, passing through a whole range of related nuances. Their bodies and fins can be endowed with roughly parallel, dark stripes that have different directions depending on the part, some radiating outward from the eye, stripes on vertical fins lie vertically. All fins with blackish-brown spots. However, the stripes may not be visible. The belly is free from stripes.
The first dorsal spine, called illicium, is modified and is used as a fishing lure, behind it, two large and thick spines. Extremity of illicium is endowed with a characteristic oval esca composed of a multitude of slender filaments in a tuft. This lure is a way to separate easily A. hispidus from Antennarius striatus, which presents similar physical characteristics(stripes, coloration, cutaneous appendages)and with which it is often confused. The illicium has the same length as the second dorsal spine. The second dorsal spine is practically straight and is mobile, and the third one is bent towards the back of the body. They are well separated from each other and also from the dorsal fin. Pelvic fin located in front of the pectoral fin, and all fins are thickly covered with flesh. The pectoral fins are angled and help, with the pelvic fins, to move the frogfish on the bottom and to keep a stable position for ambush.
This species inhabits shallow rocky and coral reefs to deep muddy habitats. It can be found from the surface to 90 m deep with average occurrences at 45 m. As all frogfishes, A. hispidus is a voracious carnivore which gulps down all the prey which pass in its strike area, mainly fish, but even some congeners. Its prey range in size up to close to its own size. Like other members of its family, it has a benthic and solitary lifestyle. They gather during mating period. but do not tolerate each other any more after the act of fertilization. The male can kill or eat the female if she stays close. Oviparous. Eggs are bound in ribbon-like sheath or mass of gelatinous mucus called 'egg raft' or 'veil'.
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