Striated frogfish

📖 Overview

Inhabit rocky and coral reefs, on rocks, sand or rubble . Found in weedy estuaries along the east coast of southern Africa . Occurring in marine or brackish waters . In the Atlantic, it is found at an average depth of 40 m . Benthic . Observed to inflate itself greatly like the puffers . Oviparous. Males have more intense coloration and extended cutaneous appendages than females . Eggs are bound in ribbon-like sheath or mass of gelatinous mucus called 'egg raft' or 'veil' .

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 12; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 7. Diagnosis: body short and globose; mouth large with many small, villiform teeth; skin rough, covered with bifurcate dermal spinules; pectoral-fin lobes attached to sides of body; illicium at most as long as second dorsal-fin spine; head, body and fins entirely covered with rough, parallel, dark streaks . : short and / or deep; Cross section: compressed.

🌀 Behaviour

As with all frogfishes, A. striatus is a voracious carnivore which will devour all right-sized prey that pass within reach, usually other fish, but sometimes even its own kind. It can swallow prey 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 family Antennariidae use a unique form of locomotion which includes a jet type like propulsion that involves breathing. Water is taken in from the mouth and expelled through tube like gill openings behind the pectoral fins that propel the fish forward by performing opercular exhalations. The family generally has a globulous body shape with a large mouth upturned in the front of the body. This modification of increased oral cavity and reduced gill openings combined with pulsed water jet like propulsion expelled from breathing allow the fish to propel itself along the floor. They also have a unique jointed pectoral and pelvic fins that allow them to walk along the floor using their anterior dorsal fin in conjunction with their anal tail. Their fins are not modified for actual swimming therefore they remain benthic on the ocean floor. While frogfish have the ability to take in their surroundings and camouflage, they also have the ability to express batesian mimicry where they mimic other dangerous species such as the sea anemone to prevent predators from attacking. An example of such is frogfishes mimicking sea urchins resting on the floor. These fish also have a defense mechanism for when they are found by predators which includes swelling their body with water and remaining inflated to make swallowing difficult. Frogfish are carnivorous, mainly feeding on a diet of small marine fish and crustaceans, but have been known to perform in acts of cannibalism. A.

🦐 Diet

🥚 Reproduction

Oviparous. Males have more intense coloration and extended cutaneous appendages than females . Eggs are bound in ribbon-like sheath or mass of gelatinous mucus called 'egg raft' or 'veil' .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range 10 - 219 m , usually ? - 40 m . Subtropical; 43°N - 50°S, 88°W - 154°W Southwest Africa, with a single record from St.

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Scientific Synonyms

… and 13 more synonyms

🐠 Related Species

🔍 Similar Species

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 725 records indexed .

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