Warty Frogfish (Antennarius maculatus) Care Guide
Antennarius maculatus, the warty frogfish, is an Indo-Pacific ambush predator with wart-covered skin and a fish-mimicking lure.
Overview
Antennarius maculatus, the warty frogfish, is a marine fish of the family Antennariidae described by Desjardins in 1840. According to Wikipedia and FishBase, it has a globular, extensible body covered with small dermal spinules and numerous prominent wart-like protuberances, and a large mouth able to consume prey close to its own size.
Taxonomy
- Family: Antennariidae
- Genus: Antennarius
- Scientific name: Antennarius maculatus (Desjardins, 1840)
Habitat
FishBase records the species across the Indo-West Pacific, from the Maldives and Mauritius to Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, with recent records from New Caledonia. It inhabits sheltered rocky and coral reefs, often among algae, sponges and soft corals, at depths of about 1-15 m. The preferred temperature reported by FishBase is 25.2-29.3 °C.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 250 L
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- GH: 8-12 °dGH
- Adult size: 12-15 cm (FishBase reports a maximum of 15 cm TL)
- Lifespan: 5-20 years
Diet
The warty frogfish is a carnivore that feeds chiefly on fishes. It is a voracious ambush predator that attracts prey with a large esca mimicking a tiny fish, then captures it by rapid suction. Prey size can approach the frogfish's own body dimensions. In aquaria it is typically fed live or thawed meaty foods such as silversides.
Compatibility
This is a solitary, bottom-dwelling species best kept alone or only with conspecifics of similar size. It readily eats smaller fish and ornamental shrimp, so these should not be kept with it.
Breeding
The species is oviparous; FishBase describes eggs bound in a ribbon-like sheath of gelatinous mucus called an egg raft. Wikipedia notes that adults are solitary and gather only to mate, separating aggressively afterwards.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2021), as reported by FishBase.