Frogfish
Video Below
It’s hard to imagine a hopping fish with a fishing rod and lure. But that is a frogfish. I still remember the first frogfish that I ever found. It was at Bonaire. Rumor was there was a white frogfish 83 feet down to the right of Capt. Don’s. It took us a couple of days but we found it and it was the highlight of our trip.
Five Quirky and Captivating Characteristics
1. Their exceptional ability to camouflage. They are difficult to find even it you are looking straight at them.
They can change their color and shape to match their surroundings making them virtually invisible to prey, predators and divers. This does not happen quickly like an octopus. It takes about two weeks. But when they are finished changing it is almost impossible to tell that they are not a sponge.
2. Walking Fish
Frogfish have a unique way of moving. Because they don’t have a swim bladder, they sink to the ocean floor. They use their pelvic an pectoral fins to walk on the ocean floor instead of walking. This method allows them to sneak up on prospective prey.
3. Fishing Lure
Some frogfish have a modified dorsal fin called an with a fleshy lure at the end.
They dangle the lure in front of their mouths and move it in a way that mimics the movement of prey, making it look like an easy meal for other animals. This lure resembles an insect or a worm. When the frogfish moves it, it is like a fishing rod with a vacuum cleaner behind it.
4. Vacuum Cleaners of the Ocean
A frogfish has an incredibly large mouth that it can expand to swallow prey larger than its own body. When a frogfish decides to strike at prey, it does it so quickly using a suction force similar to a vacuum cleaner. This quick strike which is less than a second assures that the prey has little chance of escaping
5. Ability to sit like statues
Frogfish have the ability to sit for a very long time with no movement. The tiny male and large female frogfish can sit like statues all day long. This is another reason that night dives are spectacular. They hunt mostly at night so that is when you will see them in action.