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Warty frogfish
Scientific name : Antennarius maculatus
Small frog fish very variable in colour. Many specimens are white or yellow, with red or brown blotches forming a constant pattern: a triangular blotch from eye to gill, two saddles at the two ends of the soft dorsal fin, a ring around the tail base. Some specimens are black with orange spots, other are brown or reddish.
The skin is covered with warts, and has few rounded spots.
The second dorsal spine has a large membrane, and it is typically pushed forward and moved with a wavy motion when the animal crawls on the bottom (like in the above picture). Illicium longer than the second spine, esca made up by a tuft of filaments. 9 cm.
Encountered more easily in lagoon, bay or in the back reef.
Often associated with sponges.
Confusion possible with Antennarius pictus, or Antennarius commersoni young specimens. A. maculatus, compared with the other species, has typical warts and few round spots (typical of A. pictus). Also the large second dorsal spine membrane can help with the identification.
Habitat:
Lagoon, Reef, Sand
Distribution:
Indo-Pacific
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