Frogfish
Antennarius commerson
Sighting evidence at Dutch Bay Wall, Kalpitiya
Giant frogfish up to 35 cm attach themselves to sponges and match their colour so precisely that even experienced guides sometimes walk past them. Their modified pectoral fins act as limbs, and they walk rather than swim between hunting positions — a behaviour that remains startling no matter how often it is witnessed. Dutch Bay's diverse sponge community provides both camouflage substrate and hunting grounds, and regular dive guides maintain a mental map of favoured frogfish territories that persist for months at a time.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Frogfish is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.