The Frogfish Files - Page 22

Reefcherie · #**526** 04/25/2004, 07:35 AM

Newflee: Hmmm.... I know this thread has become long, so perhaps you missed my story of Fuggly. I believe Fuggly is A. pictus and he/she has indeed changed color in response to the environment. As a juvenile, I got Fuggly as a red frogfish. He turned completely black in response to being housed temporarily in a small critter keeper sunk within my 180-gallon tank. He was up against the black back wall. The color change took about two weeks.

The 40-gallon refugium he went into also had a black back wall and he stayed black. I put in a red/orange tree sponge (A. pictus is known to associate w/ sponges). He became red/orange within, again, about two weeks and stayed that way for months. As time progressed, he looked like a sponge - not just the color, but the spots on his sides became the same as the sponge pores! More often than not, he sat in the sponge and I felt like a real heel for having to remove his home. It was a large sponge and unfortunately there just wasn't the right conditions in that tank to keep it healthy.

With the sponge gone, gradually Fuggly went from red/orange to peach (gorgeous color actually), then has settled on banana yellow, with an increasing amount of protuberances on his body. His current tank is a rolling mass of red Gracilaria, a largish hunk of live rock, black back wall now covered in purple and green coralline, and a beigish puka shell substrate.

I haven't a clue why he's settled on yellow, but I sure see no signs of brown coming. If I had to guess, from observing color change in both A. pictus and A. maculatus, I'd say that there may be significant differences in color changing propensity and ability from one species to the next. Perhaps there are significant individual ability/desire variations as well.

Cheri

spanker · #**527** 04/25/2004, 07:37 AM

Let's face it Cheri, you have a mood angler.

Changes colors with mood. Now all you need is a little chart to go with it.

Reefcherie · #**528** 04/25/2004, 07:46 AM

Here's most of the color progression for Fuggly (I don't have a picture of the Yellow yet:

Spanker: "mood angler" LOL

Newflee · #**529** 04/25/2004, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Reef Cherie

I haven't a clue why he's settled on yellow, but I sure see no signs of brown coming. If I had to guess, from observing color change in both A. pictus and A. maculatus, I'd say that there may be significant differences in color changing propensity and ability from one species to the next. Perhaps there are significant individual ability/desire variations as well.

Cheri

Cheri, I don't have any clue why he and most settle on yellow/brown either. I know that yours has changed colors several times, sometimes obviously in response to his environment, but I posted "If you can show me a single case of a frog changing red or any other bright color in captivity for a long term I could change my tune"
I suspected I was leaving too much room for interpretation. The key factor I was writing about was long term change.
Can a frog change color - yes,
Can you manipulate or dictate what color he changes to -I think not to any degree of certainty.
Will he eventually turn brown/yellow- In most cases I have heard of yes, regardless of environment.

Time will tell as more of us have success with these guys. I must say that keeping mine has been effortless and without incident so far.

Lee

RamPuppy · #**530** 04/30/2004, 10:46 PM

I wonder if the reason many change color with time is more a matter of maturation? A small fish needs camoflauge more than an adult would, at least for protective purposes, being an ambush predator one could certainly make the argument that frog fish need camoflauge as adults too.

I think color change can also be rapid to some extent, I can't find it any more, but a few weeks ago I read a divers story about a frog fish ambling down a slope and then changing it's color to blend with a sponge where it settled..

so much info we don't know about these fish. I don't think I could form a solid belief in their color morphing ability one way or another, with the lack of data, it is simply to soon to say they can or can't do this. (within reason.)

Newflee · #**531** 05/01/2004, 04:37 PM

Here's a quick updated pic of Meatball taken today.

He is sure getting prominent spots.

Lee

Algae Blenny · #**532** 05/01/2004, 07:00 PM

Newflee, Meatball is so cool looking. I love the spots. About how big is he (or her)?

Newflee · #**533** 05/01/2004, 07:14 PM

He's about 4.5" long. Sort of the size and shape of a smallish pear.
When I got him he was about the size of a golfball and jet black. He really grew rapidly when he was eating frozen mackarel but he has refused anything dead for at least a month now. I know that because I buy ghost shrimp each month and just ran out yesterday.

I'll have to look back on the thread to know how long I've had him but it must be 4 months now. Seems to be no mystery so far in keeping these guys(gals).

I must admit that his camo is pretty good.....I now have to look a little before I can find him. Even in a 6 gallon tank. Unless of course he's swimming around like a goofy guy.

Lee

Reefcherie · #**534** 05/02/2004, 07:47 AM

Love all the spots on Meatball now! Glad to hear he's doing fine, though I wonder why he stopped being willing to eat dead food....how strange.

Cheri

Amber Nussbaum · #**535** 05/02/2004, 08:03 AM

Took that one at the LFS yesterday. Just thought I'd share. It's about 6 inches long. Wouldn't turn around to cheese for the camera though, haha.

Meatball looks so cool. I love the spots. By the way Meatball is the name I gave a Boston Terrier I am hoping to adopt.. so cute.

Fishy1 · #**536** 05/02/2004, 03:18 PM

Here's a pic of my giant "Ollie" that was taken a few minutes ago. I've had him since January and he's still black.....wonder if he'll stay that way?

fishy1

Reefcherie · #**537** 05/02/2004, 04:06 PM

LOL! I'd say Ollie has pretty effective camouflage...I had to look closely to figure out where his "smile" was!

Glad to hear he's still doing well!

Amber - thanks for sharing

Cheri

BlennyBabe · #**538** 05/03/2004, 12:29 AM

Cool pictures everyone. I just got cow to eat a silverside, Im realizing that I can let him go without food for much longer than I thought. Hopefully after a few feedings of "dead" food, I wont need to buy mollies and ghost shrimp anymore.

Newflee · #**539** 05/03/2004, 01:01 AM

How long are you letting him go without food?
I expect that a week would not be a big problem, maybe even longer.
The problem for me when feeding ghost shrimp is that I get them 100 at a time and like to feed them dailly otherwise they just eat each other in such a high population density.

BlennyBabe · #**540** 05/03/2004, 02:27 AM

I cant buy ghost shrimp at an affordable price. I have been breeding mollies and feeding them to him 2 a week. It has been 6 days since he last ate and I knew he was hungry. He starts luring every time I walk past the tank. I threaded a silverside, a whole one with eyes intact, and then put the thread in the tank and pulled it under a rock. a few jerks here and there and he had it. I jerked him around a bit to get the thread off, but hes fine. I like this better than the feeding stick. it seems to work better. Ill try again tomorrow because I know hes still hungry. I have some silver sides soaking in garlic overnight.

Wee Man · #**541** 05/04/2004, 07:38 AM

Fishy is it possibly that you oculd stick your hand in the camera next to ollie to give us a visual aid on his size

Fishy1 · #**542** 05/04/2004, 11:33 AM

Will try WeeMan......next time my daughter comes over I'll have her snap a pic......Ollie is about 5 inches long right now

Fishy1

Fishy1 · #**543** 05/04/2004, 04:30 PM

Here you go Wee Man

"Ollie's" got his tail curled around somewhat so he's actually a little longer than the pic shows......just a handful right now!

Fishy1

AL ur Pal · #**544** 05/04/2004, 04:57 PM

would a 20h be too small for a 2 inch frog? Ive been reading about them and am so intrigued by them. I want to put one in a coral and frog only tank (20h).

Newflee · #**545** 05/04/2004, 04:59 PM

He's about the same size (maybe a little bigger)than Meaty right now.
Of course what and how recently you have fed your frog will make a difference in wow large the appear to be.
With good feeding meatball has gone from 1.5-2" to 4-5" within a few or four months. I can't remember. I'll have to look back on the thread.

Lee

Ps. Weird that yours hasn't changed colour at all....although my LFS had some in that were softball size and the same juvenile (presumably) coloration.

Wee Man · #**546** 05/04/2004, 07:19 PM

i didnt mean you had to grab the poor little bugger lol

Fishy1 · #**547** 05/04/2004, 08:40 PM

I didn't grab him......he's such a laid back guy that I just gently picked him up.....didn't even squirm to get away

Really do love him!

Fishy1

Fishy1 · #**548** 05/04/2004, 08:45 PM

Al yur Pal, I don't think a 20H is too small for a 2 inch frog (providing it's not a giant species). I would be careful what corals I placed with him though......pick shrooms, star polyps, or any other coral that wouldn't potentially sting him. I've got the above mentioned ones plus a small fox in with "Ollie" HTH

Fishy1

Newflee · #**549** 05/04/2004, 09:36 PM

I have a small ellegance coral in with Meaty and he puts his paw on it for hours at rest. I think these guys are immune to any nematocysts much the same as clownfish. The corals also do not respond to the frog as food.
Lets put it this way. Anything I don't want in my reef lives with my frog quite happily. Ie: shrooms, zoos, hydnophora, euphillia etc.

Just my exp.

Lee

Newflee · #**550** 05/04/2004, 09:44 PM

AL ur Pal
forgot to mention that Meatball is in a 6 Gallon eclipse. As long as you can maintain water quality...these guys seem to be happy to sit on your lap. Experience with water quality and the ability to make rapid but sychronized(experienced) water changes is a must.