Order BATRACHOIDIFORMES
Body elongate, cylindrical or somewhat depressed anteriorly, compressed posteriorly; body naked or with small,
embedded cycloid scales. Head broad, more or less depressed; mouth large. Ribs and pyloric caeca absent. See family
account below for additional characters.
A single family with about 18 genera and 60 species.
Batrachoidids are thought to be closely related to the
Lophiiformes and Gobiesociformes (Rosen & Patterson,
1969).
Family No. 100: BATRACHOIDIDAE
by J.B. Hutchins
Toadfishes
Platannavisse
Small to medium-sized fishes; body cylindrical, compressed posteriorly; head usually depressed. Skin smooth
or with ridges, loosely attached to head, body and fins; body
either covered with small embedded cycloid scales, partly
scaly or entirely naked. Fleshy tentacles usually present
around mouth. Gill cover with 3-5 strong spines, usually
hidden below skin; 3 gill arches; gill opening extending from
above pectoral fin base to above pelvic fin base. A band of
small to moderate conical acute teeth in jaws; similar teeth
on vomer and palatines. Spinous dorsal fin of 3 short strong
spines, usually hidden in thick skin immediately behind
head; pelvic fins jugular, with a concealed short spine, a
simple thick ray encased in thick skin, and a much branched
second ray. Three lateral lines along side of body, middle
and lower lines usually difficult to detect; lateral line pores
usually surrounded by a low bifid tentacle (in some species,
the tentacle encloses a double pore, which is still considered
a single unit). Swimbladder well developed, used for sound
production by some species. A foramen or "pocket" may be
present in upper portion of pectoral fin axilla.
Batrachoidids are benthic fishes found mostly in 10 - 250
m, but some species occur in intertidal areas. The largest
species attains 35 cm, the smallest 10 cm. The flesh is good,
but their repulsive appearance makes them unattractive as
food-fish. Toadfishes occur in temperate and tropical
waters of all oceans; 5 genera and 9 species are found in our
area. One of our species extends to Angola, but the others
appear to be restricted to southern Africa. Although some
species in the tropical Atlantic have venomous spines, none
of our species does.
358
KEY TO GENERA
1a Prominent foramen or pocket in upper portion of P axilla
2
1b No foramen in P axilla ........................................................ 4
2a Body scaly, at least posteriorly (may be difficult
to detect in fish over 20 em in length) ..................................... 3
2b Body scaleless ............................................... Austrobatrachus
3a Prominent tentacles above eye; body scaly only
on posterior half ..................................................... Riekertia
3b No orbital tentacles; body completely scaly ........... Perulibatrachus
4a Body scaleless ..................................................... Batrichth ys
4b Body scaly (scales embedded, covered with
mucus) ................................................................ Chatrabus
Genus Austrobatrachus Smith, 1952
Two species; 1 in our area.
100.1 Austrobatrachus foedus
(Smith,1947)
PLATE 12
Puzzled toadfish
Fronsende platannavis
Pseudobatrachus foedus Smith, 1947: 820 (Algoa Bay). Austrobatrachus foedus: Smith, 1952: 323; SFSA No. 1218*.
D III + 20-21; A 16-17; P 18-21. Many obvious fine skin ridges on head.
Gill cover armed with 3-4 spines (lower subopercular spine small or
absent). Upper LL with 48-55 pores.
Attains 27 cm. Known only from Algoa Bay to Coffee
Bay, Transkei; rare.
Genus Batrichthys Smith, 1934
The earlier Bathybatrachus Gilchrist & von Bonde, 1924
and its type-species, Bathybatrachus albolineatus Gilchrist
& von Bonde, 1924 were inadequately described (Smith,
1952: 339; SFSA No. 1221*). The descriptions show some
resemblance to Batrichthys felinus Smith, but differ significantly in fin-ray counts. As the type of B. albolineatus
appears to be lost (Smith, 1952), this genus is considered a
nomen dubium. There are 4 species of Batrichthys, with 3 in
our area.
KEY TO SPECIES
1a V reach anus; 33-39 LL pores in upper series ................. B. felinus
1b V do not reach anus; 20-25 LL pores ..................................... 2
2a Network of fine skin ridges dorsally on head, most
prominent between the eyes ..................................... B. apiatus
2b No network of skin ridges dorsally on head .......... B. albofasciatus
Body elongate, cylindrical or somewhat depressed anteriorly, compressed posteriorly; body naked or with small,
embedded cycloid scales. Head broad, more or less depressed; mouth large. Ribs and pyloric caeca absent. See family
account below for additional characters.
A single family with about 18 genera and 60 species.
Batrachoidids are thought to be closely related to the
Lophiiformes and Gobiesociformes (Rosen & Patterson,
1969).
Family No. 100: BATRACHOIDIDAE
by J.B. Hutchins
Toadfishes
Platannavisse
Small to medium-sized fishes; body cylindrical, compressed posteriorly; head usually depressed. Skin smooth
or with ridges, loosely attached to head, body and fins; body
either covered with small embedded cycloid scales, partly
scaly or entirely naked. Fleshy tentacles usually present
around mouth. Gill cover with 3-5 strong spines, usually
hidden below skin; 3 gill arches; gill opening extending from
above pectoral fin base to above pelvic fin base. A band of
small to moderate conical acute teeth in jaws; similar teeth
on vomer and palatines. Spinous dorsal fin of 3 short strong
spines, usually hidden in thick skin immediately behind
head; pelvic fins jugular, with a concealed short spine, a
simple thick ray encased in thick skin, and a much branched
second ray. Three lateral lines along side of body, middle
and lower lines usually difficult to detect; lateral line pores
usually surrounded by a low bifid tentacle (in some species,
the tentacle encloses a double pore, which is still considered
a single unit). Swimbladder well developed, used for sound
production by some species. A foramen or "pocket" may be
present in upper portion of pectoral fin axilla.
Batrachoidids are benthic fishes found mostly in 10 - 250
m, but some species occur in intertidal areas. The largest
species attains 35 cm, the smallest 10 cm. The flesh is good,
but their repulsive appearance makes them unattractive as
food-fish. Toadfishes occur in temperate and tropical
waters of all oceans; 5 genera and 9 species are found in our
area. One of our species extends to Angola, but the others
appear to be restricted to southern Africa. Although some
species in the tropical Atlantic have venomous spines, none
of our species does.
358
KEY TO GENERA
1a Prominent foramen or pocket in upper portion of P axilla
2
1b No foramen in P axilla ........................................................ 4
2a Body scaly, at least posteriorly (may be difficult
to detect in fish over 20 em in length) ..................................... 3
2b Body scaleless ............................................... Austrobatrachus
3a Prominent tentacles above eye; body scaly only
on posterior half ..................................................... Riekertia
3b No orbital tentacles; body completely scaly ........... Perulibatrachus
4a Body scaleless ..................................................... Batrichth ys
4b Body scaly (scales embedded, covered with
mucus) ................................................................ Chatrabus
Genus Austrobatrachus Smith, 1952
Two species; 1 in our area.
100.1 Austrobatrachus foedus
(Smith,1947)
PLATE 12
Puzzled toadfish
Fronsende platannavis
Pseudobatrachus foedus Smith, 1947: 820 (Algoa Bay). Austrobatrachus foedus: Smith, 1952: 323; SFSA No. 1218*.
D III + 20-21; A 16-17; P 18-21. Many obvious fine skin ridges on head.
Gill cover armed with 3-4 spines (lower subopercular spine small or
absent). Upper LL with 48-55 pores.
Attains 27 cm. Known only from Algoa Bay to Coffee
Bay, Transkei; rare.
Genus Batrichthys Smith, 1934
The earlier Bathybatrachus Gilchrist & von Bonde, 1924
and its type-species, Bathybatrachus albolineatus Gilchrist
& von Bonde, 1924 were inadequately described (Smith,
1952: 339; SFSA No. 1221*). The descriptions show some
resemblance to Batrichthys felinus Smith, but differ significantly in fin-ray counts. As the type of B. albolineatus
appears to be lost (Smith, 1952), this genus is considered a
nomen dubium. There are 4 species of Batrichthys, with 3 in
our area.
KEY TO SPECIES
1a V reach anus; 33-39 LL pores in upper series ................. B. felinus
1b V do not reach anus; 20-25 LL pores ..................................... 2
2a Network of fine skin ridges dorsally on head, most
prominent between the eyes ..................................... B. apiatus
2b No network of skin ridges dorsally on head .......... B. albofasciatus