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Eastern Frogfish
Batrachomoeus dubius (White, 1790)
An Eastern Frogfish at a depth of 12 m, west side of Bare Island, Sydney, New South Wales , March 2005. Photo © R. Fea. View larger image.
An Eastern Frogfish at Fly Point, Nelson Bay, New South Wales. Photo © G. McNeil. View larger image.
An Eastern Frogfish at Clifton Gardens Wharf, Sydney, New South Wales. Photo © H. Rothenfluh & P. Zylstra. View larger image.
An Eastern Frogfish at Port Stephens, New South Wales. Photo © The Eastern Frogfish has a large mouth, fleshy lips and a tasseled 'beard'. It has a large head with raised eyes and a wide, slightly concave interorbital region. The pectoral fins are large. The three short first dorsal fin spines are reported to be venomous. There is a pair of diverging spines on the upper edge of the operculum.
Adult colour varies from a mottled brown to pale grey or a deep blue-grey. Juveniles are pale with broad dark bands.
The Eastern Frogfish grows to 30 cm in length.
It is known from very shallow waters down to at least 150 m in depth. It has been observed sheltering in holes on rocky reefs, kelp beds and silty areas.
It is an endemic species that occurs from southern Queensland to central New South Wales. It is relatively common in Sydney Harbour.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
When captured, the Eastern Frogfish is capable of making a croaking sound.
This species has also been called the Blotched Toadfish, Brown Frogfish and Dubious Frogfish.
Related links
- Sculptured Frogfish fact sheet
- View the Frogfishes list
Further reading
- Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
