Frogfishes

Frogfishes or toadfishes are the common names for the Batrachoididae family. They occur in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. They have broad and flattened head with small gill openings at sides of body. Barbels and fleshy flaps are often present around their jaws. Their pelvic fins, located in front of the pectoral fins, have a single spine and 1 to 3 soft rays. Their back and sides are usually brownish, often marked with spots, saddles, bars, or other distinctive patterns. They are mainly saltwater fishes but can also occur in brackish and freshwater.

Frogfishes are bottom-dwellers ranging from shallow inshore areas to deep waters. They often hide in the sediment or in rock crevices. They are rather sluggish in their movements and are ambush predators, feeding mainly on molluscs and crustaceans. They might bite and their spines may inflict wounds to people handling them.

There are 22 genera and about 80 species worldwide.

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