Ocellate Frogfish, Halophryne ocellatus Hutchins 1974
Other Names: Ocellated Frogfish

An Ocellate Frogfish, Halophryne ocellatus, at Oyster Bridge, just north of Coral Bay, Nigaloo Reef, 6 May 2013, depth 1 m. Source: Keith Ross-Jones. License: All rights reserved
Summary:
A frogfish covered in many small ocelli, several irregular broad vertical bars along the side, the last two not joined in the middle, skin ridges absent from the head and anterior part of the body, and enlarged pores on the head.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2019, Halophryne ocellatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 20 Apr 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/3974
Ocellate Frogfish, Halophryne ocellatus Hutchins 1974
More Info
Distribution |
Endemic to Western Australia, from Cape Naturaliste in the south, to Broome in the north. Ocellate Frogfish may shelter in caves or beneath ledges. |
Features |
Dorsal fin Ill, 20-21; Anal fin 17-18; Pectoral fin 22-23; caudal fin (segmented rays) 14-15; Lateral line pores 26-30. |
Fisheries |
Occasionally taken as bycatch in commercial trawls and craypots. |
Species Citation |
Halophryne ocellatus Hutchins 1974, Rec. W.A. Mus. 3(2): 115. Type locality: Easter Group, Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia, depth 80 m. |
Author |
Bray, D.J. 2019 |
Resources |
Ocellate Frogfish, Halophryne ocellatus Hutchins 1974
References
Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. 106 pls.
Allen, G.R. & Swainston, R. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A field guide for anglers and divers. Perth, WA : Western Australian Museum vi 201 pp., 70 pls.
Gloerfelt-Tarp, T. & Kailola, P.J. 1984. Trawled Fishes of Southern Indonesia and Northwest Australia. Jakarta : Dir. Gen. Fish. (Indonesia), German Tech. Coop., Aust. Dev. Ass. Bur. 406 pp.
Greenfield, D.W., Winterbottom, R. & Collette, B.B. 2008. Review of the toadfish genera (Teleostei: Batrachoididae). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 4 59(15): 665-710 Download PDF
Hutchins, J.B. 1974. Halophryne ocellatus, a new species of frogfish (Batrachoididae) from Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 3(2): 115-120 figs 1-3 See ref online, open access
Hutchins, J.B. 1976. A revision of the Australian frogfishes. Records of the Western Australian Museum 4(1): 3-43 figs 1-17 See ref online, open access
Hutchins, J.B. 1997. Checklist of fishes of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia. pp. 239-253 in Wells, F. (ed.) The Marine Fauna and Flora of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum.
Hutchins, J.B. 2003. Checklist of marine fishes of the Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia. pp. 453-478 in Wells, F.E., Walker, D.I., & Jones, D.S. (eds). Proceedings of the Eleventh International Marine Biological Workshop: The Marine Flora and Fauna of Dampier, Western Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum.
Sainsbury, K.J., Kailola, P.J. & Leyland, G.G. 1984. Continental Shelf Fishes of Northern and North-Western Australia. Canberra : Fisheries Information Service 375 pp. figs & pls.