Facts: The Hairy Frogfish

Hairy frogfish are widely distributed in the warm marine and brackish waters of the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific. They are relatively common. They inhabit rocky and coral reefs and seagrass beds, from near the surface to 720 ft deep. However, they are most commonly observed deeper than 100 ft. They spend their time on the seafloor and use their fins to walk along the bottom. Their body is covered in hairlike spines. These spines allow hairy frogfish to camouflage against their background. They can also change colors to blend in with their surroundings. This makes them excellent at hiding in plain sight among things like rocks, sponges, seaweed, and coral as they sit for long periods of time. They typically have wavy lines or dark bars on their body. They are often light yellow to orange in color, but may be green, gray, brown, white, or jet black. Their eyes often have prominent radiating lines. They have a large mouth that can be used to suck prey at extraordinary speeds. They feed on crustaceans and fish such as flounder. Hairy frogfish are ambush predators. They wait for prey to come near, or they wave the lure on top of their head to attract prey. The lure is an extra long modified dorsal spine with a fleshy appendage at the end of it. They may also sneak up on their prey. Hairy frogfish can grow up to 10 inches long. They are not fished commercially, but they are utilized in the aquarium trade. Females lay eggs that are bound in a mass of gelatinous mucus called an egg raft. For more marine facts, click the SUBSCRIBE button!!