Painted frogfish
Antennarius pictus
Sighting evidence at Weda Bay Reefs, Halmahera
Photo: Marine Explorer (Dr John Turnbull) · CC BY-NC-SA
Frogfish are sit-and-wait ambush predators that use a modified dorsal spine (the illicium) tipped with a lure to attract fish prey within striking distance. The painted frogfish is the largest and most variable in colour, able to match sponges of virtually any hue from bright orange to pale yellow to mottled purple. Their strike is one of the fastest movements in the animal kingdom: a full engulfment takes less than 6 milliseconds. Weda Bay's pristine sponge-covered reef walls support some of the highest frogfish densities in Halmahera.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Painted frogfish is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.