lUI: LOPHIIDAE (MONKS)
Head and body dark brown above, light tan to nearly
white below; P pigmented as adjacent areas of body proximally, darker distally, the ventral surface with distinct dark
brown band distally; other fins pigmented as adjacent areas
of body; A darker distally; floor of mouth dusky behind
tongue; peritoneum dark, nearly black. Attains 100 cm. Off
Cape of Good Hope and Bay of Bengal off Burma.
Family No. 102: ANTENNARIIDAE
by T.w. Pietsch
Anglers
Hengelaars
Body short, globose, slightly compressed. Mouth large,
oblique to vertical, with numerous, small, villiform teeth.
Gill opening restricted to a small pore located behind and
below pectoral fin base. Illicium slender; esca usually well
developed. Second and third dorsal fin spines free from soft
dorsal fin, well developed, and covered by skin; pectoral fin
base elongate, limb-like; pelvic fins present. Skin spinulose
or naked, often with membranous filaments or flaps.
Colour and colour pattern highly variable, two extremes: a
more common light phase with light tan to yellow, brown or
rust background usually overlaid with black, brown, pink,
or bright yellow streaks, bars, and/or spots on head, body
and fins; dark phase with green, dark red, dark brown to
black background with streaks, bars or spots showing
through as deeper black; tips of rays of paired fins often
white. Vertebrae 5+14.
Anglers (also called "frogfishes" or "toadfishes") are of
no economic importance except in the aquarium trade.
Occur in all tropical and subtropical seas; juveniles and
adults on bottom in 0 - 92 m, or, as in the case of Histrio, in
floating Sargassum weed. Some species attain a length of 49
cm. Thirteen genera, with a total of 40 species; 2 genera and
9 species known from our area. Generic revision by Pietsch
(1984).
J.L.B. Smith writes (SFSA, p. 430): "These small fishes
live mainly about reefs and rocks among weed, where their
shape and markings render them virtually invisible. As they
can inflate the body to some extent, they have little difficulty in drifting with floating weed by which they are completely concealed. The filaments of the lure (spine) on the
snout can be moved to attract fishes and other creatures. It
is an education to see this fish at work. With body perfectly
still but tensed, and with eyes glued on the prospective prey,
the filaments are moved about to resemble a writhing
worm. They even change colour with varying iridescence.
As the small fish darts forward to seize this tasty morsel,
levered by the pectorals the toadfish (angler) shoots out and
with open mouth engulfs its prey."
366
KEY TO GENERA
la Skin with minute prickles (rough); P base broadly
connected to body; associated with coral or rock
substratum ............................ Antennarius
Ib Skin naked (smooth), often with membranous
filaments or flaps; P with narrow limb-like base;
usually associated with floating sargassum weed . . . . . . .. Histrio
Genus Antennarius Daudin, 1816
Antennarius (Commerson, MS) Lacepede, 1798, is a
non-binomial name validated by Opinion 24 of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature but later
suspended by Opinion 89. Approximately 25 species; 8
occur in our area.
KEY TO SPECIES
la Illicium tapering to a fine point; no esca; 2nd D
spine straight, slightly tapered; 3rd D spine
immobile, tightly bound to head by thick, firm
skin; A rays nearly always undivided ............ A. tuberosus
Ib Esca well developed; 2nd D spine usually curved
posteriorly, not tapered; 3rd D spine mobile, only loosely
held to head by skin; A rays all divided ................. 2
2a Bony support for 1st and 2nd D spines extending in front of
upper jaw .................................... 3
2b Bony support for 1st and 2nd D spines not extending in
front of upper jaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3a Esca of 2-3 stout tentacles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. A. striatus
3b Esca a dense tuft of fine filaments . . . . . . . . . . . . .. A. hispidus
4a First D spine (excluding esca) nearly twice length of 2nd;
2nd spine joined to head by membrane ................. 5
4b First D spine (excluding esca) subequal to or shorter than
2nd; 2nd spine not joined to head by membrane ............ 6
5a D 1+1+1,11-13; A 7-8; P 10-11; skin joining 2nd
D spine to head membranous and only lightly
covered with dermal spines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. piclUs
5b D 1+ I + 1,12-13; A 8; P 10-11; skin joining 2nd D
spine to head thick and densely spinulose ....... A. commersoni
6a First D spine (excluding esca) subecjual to 2nd; P 10-12 ....... 7
6b First D spine (excluding esca) distinctly shorter
than 2nd; P 8-10 ........................ A. dorehensis
7a Distinct C peduncle present; esca comprises a
cluster of darkly pigmented swellings and an
anteriorly directed appendage ............... A. nummifer
7b No distinct C peduncle (D and A joined to base
of C); esca a small whitish blob ............... A. coccineus
102.1 Antennarius coccineus
(Lesson, 1831)
PLATE 13
Freckled angler
Sproet-hengelaar
Chironectes coccineus L,esson, 1831: 143, PI. 16, Fig. 1 (Mauritius).
Antennarius leucus Fowler, 1935: 512, Fig. 53 (Natal). Antennarius coccineus: Smith, SFSA No. 1238*.
D 1+ [+ 1,12-\3; A 7; P 10-12. Esca a spherical, whitish blob. Second D
Head and body dark brown above, light tan to nearly
white below; P pigmented as adjacent areas of body proximally, darker distally, the ventral surface with distinct dark
brown band distally; other fins pigmented as adjacent areas
of body; A darker distally; floor of mouth dusky behind
tongue; peritoneum dark, nearly black. Attains 100 cm. Off
Cape of Good Hope and Bay of Bengal off Burma.
Family No. 102: ANTENNARIIDAE
by T.w. Pietsch
Anglers
Hengelaars
Body short, globose, slightly compressed. Mouth large,
oblique to vertical, with numerous, small, villiform teeth.
Gill opening restricted to a small pore located behind and
below pectoral fin base. Illicium slender; esca usually well
developed. Second and third dorsal fin spines free from soft
dorsal fin, well developed, and covered by skin; pectoral fin
base elongate, limb-like; pelvic fins present. Skin spinulose
or naked, often with membranous filaments or flaps.
Colour and colour pattern highly variable, two extremes: a
more common light phase with light tan to yellow, brown or
rust background usually overlaid with black, brown, pink,
or bright yellow streaks, bars, and/or spots on head, body
and fins; dark phase with green, dark red, dark brown to
black background with streaks, bars or spots showing
through as deeper black; tips of rays of paired fins often
white. Vertebrae 5+14.
Anglers (also called "frogfishes" or "toadfishes") are of
no economic importance except in the aquarium trade.
Occur in all tropical and subtropical seas; juveniles and
adults on bottom in 0 - 92 m, or, as in the case of Histrio, in
floating Sargassum weed. Some species attain a length of 49
cm. Thirteen genera, with a total of 40 species; 2 genera and
9 species known from our area. Generic revision by Pietsch
(1984).
J.L.B. Smith writes (SFSA, p. 430): "These small fishes
live mainly about reefs and rocks among weed, where their
shape and markings render them virtually invisible. As they
can inflate the body to some extent, they have little difficulty in drifting with floating weed by which they are completely concealed. The filaments of the lure (spine) on the
snout can be moved to attract fishes and other creatures. It
is an education to see this fish at work. With body perfectly
still but tensed, and with eyes glued on the prospective prey,
the filaments are moved about to resemble a writhing
worm. They even change colour with varying iridescence.
As the small fish darts forward to seize this tasty morsel,
levered by the pectorals the toadfish (angler) shoots out and
with open mouth engulfs its prey."
366
KEY TO GENERA
la Skin with minute prickles (rough); P base broadly
connected to body; associated with coral or rock
substratum ............................ Antennarius
Ib Skin naked (smooth), often with membranous
filaments or flaps; P with narrow limb-like base;
usually associated with floating sargassum weed . . . . . . .. Histrio
Genus Antennarius Daudin, 1816
Antennarius (Commerson, MS) Lacepede, 1798, is a
non-binomial name validated by Opinion 24 of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature but later
suspended by Opinion 89. Approximately 25 species; 8
occur in our area.
KEY TO SPECIES
la Illicium tapering to a fine point; no esca; 2nd D
spine straight, slightly tapered; 3rd D spine
immobile, tightly bound to head by thick, firm
skin; A rays nearly always undivided ............ A. tuberosus
Ib Esca well developed; 2nd D spine usually curved
posteriorly, not tapered; 3rd D spine mobile, only loosely
held to head by skin; A rays all divided ................. 2
2a Bony support for 1st and 2nd D spines extending in front of
upper jaw .................................... 3
2b Bony support for 1st and 2nd D spines not extending in
front of upper jaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3a Esca of 2-3 stout tentacles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. A. striatus
3b Esca a dense tuft of fine filaments . . . . . . . . . . . . .. A. hispidus
4a First D spine (excluding esca) nearly twice length of 2nd;
2nd spine joined to head by membrane ................. 5
4b First D spine (excluding esca) subequal to or shorter than
2nd; 2nd spine not joined to head by membrane ............ 6
5a D 1+1+1,11-13; A 7-8; P 10-11; skin joining 2nd
D spine to head membranous and only lightly
covered with dermal spines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. piclUs
5b D 1+ I + 1,12-13; A 8; P 10-11; skin joining 2nd D
spine to head thick and densely spinulose ....... A. commersoni
6a First D spine (excluding esca) subecjual to 2nd; P 10-12 ....... 7
6b First D spine (excluding esca) distinctly shorter
than 2nd; P 8-10 ........................ A. dorehensis
7a Distinct C peduncle present; esca comprises a
cluster of darkly pigmented swellings and an
anteriorly directed appendage ............... A. nummifer
7b No distinct C peduncle (D and A joined to base
of C); esca a small whitish blob ............... A. coccineus
102.1 Antennarius coccineus
(Lesson, 1831)
PLATE 13
Freckled angler
Sproet-hengelaar
Chironectes coccineus L,esson, 1831: 143, PI. 16, Fig. 1 (Mauritius).
Antennarius leucus Fowler, 1935: 512, Fig. 53 (Natal). Antennarius coccineus: Smith, SFSA No. 1238*.
D 1+ [+ 1,12-\3; A 7; P 10-12. Esca a spherical, whitish blob. Second D