Banded Frogfish, Halophryne diemensis (Lesueur 1824)
Other Names: Australian Frogfish, Banded Toadfish, Bastard Stonefish, Devil-fish, Northern Frogfish, Stonefish, Wirrarook
A Banded Frogfish, Halophryne diemensis, at Cape Leveque, Western Australia. Source: Graham Edgar / Reef Life Survey. License: CC BY Attribution
Summary:
A well-camouflaged mottled frogfish (aka banded toadfish) with irregular darker brown and pale bands and blotches on the body, extending onto the dorsal and anal fins, and skin with numerous tassels on the head and body. Banded Frogfish have the gill opening restricted to the upper third to one-half off the pectoral-fin base.
Video of a Banded Toadfish in the Philippines.
Video of a Banded Toadfish in the Philippines.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2016, Halophryne diemensis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 04 Oct 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/2837
Banded Frogfish, Halophryne diemensis (Lesueur 1824)
More Info
Distribution |
Shark Bay, Western Australia, Ashmore Reef, Timor Sea, to the southern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. Elsewhere the species occurs in the tropical east-Indo-west Pacific. Inhabits coastal reefs and estuaries including mangrove areas, often sheltering in holes and crevices. |
Feeding |
Ambush predator - feeds on fishes and a range of benthic invertebrates including crabs, prawns, molluscs and echinoderms. |
Biology |
Banded Frogfish incubate the eggs in the mouth, and the young are guarded by one of the parents after hatching. |
Remarks |
In general there are no known venomous species amongst the Australian toadfishes. Cameron & Endean (1972) found that Banded Frogfish lack a venom apparatus. However, they have huge clavate cells in their skin which may be the source of the skin secretion that reportedly kills other fishes. Reportedly, stab wounds from the spines can result to severe pain. |
Species Citation |
Batrachoides diemensis Lesueur 1824, J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 3(2): 402. Type locality: Northern Territory. |
Author |
Bray, D.J. 2016 |
Resources |
Banded Frogfish, Halophryne diemensis (Lesueur 1824)
References
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