The Frogfish Files

[Wee Man]

well an update to my new frogfish project.

since postin last i have picked a 15 gallon eclipse system and it is cycling as we speak. in a coouple months i will be picking up the frogfish... hopefully.

[Fishy1]

Hope you have good luck with your next frogfish, WeeMan. After Dudley my painted frogfish died I purchased my giant Ollie, and I'm happy to report he's still doing well

Fishy1

[Wee Man]

glad to hear it. how big is he now. i imagine a big benefit of having a large frogfish is that he is much easier to feed and not be worried about the prey item being to big.

[Fishy1]

Ollie is 5 1/2 inches long and 3 1/2 high.......looks like a large painted frogfish at this point. I just hope he was mis-labeled and is really a painted frogfish He's in a 29 gallon right now and just fits........he hasn't grown very much in the last 2 to 3 months. Yes, it is easy to feed him.....he eats 2 to 3 frozen krill or 2 small silversides every other day. Even so, he still lures for more on days he's not supposed to eat. I'm a tough cookie though and never give in We just got back from the Shedd aquarium in Chicago......they had a full grown giant frogfish on display.....he was huge! 12 inches long.......and bright yellow. Really something to see!

fishy1

[Reefcherie]

Fishy1,

If you really want to know which kind you have, get ready to count spines! Here are the distinguishing characteristics (Scott Michael-Reef Fishes Vol. 1)

A. commerson (11.8"): 8 anal rays, 13 dorsal rays (rarely 11 or 12), 11 pectoral rays (rarely 10). The 2nd dorsal spine becomes wider towards the end and has a thick membrane that nearly reaches the spine tip and extends to the base of the third dorsal spine. The 3rd dorsal spine is also long and very thick toward the end. [Not to scare you, but Scott Michael tells of seeing a house cat sized Giant frogfish in the Lembah Straits... boy would I love to see that!]

A. pictus (9.4"): 6 or 7 anal rays; usually 10 pectoral rays (rarely 9 or 11); 12 dorsal rays (rarely 11 or 13). The 2nd dorsal spine is tapered from the base to the tip. A. maculatus is almost identical to A. pictus (particularly as a juvenile), but given the size yours has already attained, you can probably rule that out.

Although anglers have some uniquely adapted fins, if you are looking for a basic external fish anatomy picture, this one is pretty good: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/P...5/anatomy.html

Hope this helps. Have fun!

Cheri

[Fishy1]

Thanks for the info, Cheri I'll have too see if I can't do some counting later today when the lights come on and Ollie is in a good position. I'll have to put my glasses on and if I still can't count them (he's black) maybe my daughter can come over in a day or two and do it for me.......she's counted the spines on a fuzzy dwarf to determine sex so I bet she could do Ollie

Janey

[RamPuppy]

hey guys, I don't know if you all have seen this or not, just ran across it, TONS of frogfish footage, some great angling and mating shots...

http://www.oceanfootage.com/stockfootage/Frog+Fish/

[Wee Man]

nice site

[Jordan55]

Just thought I would share my little guy. I have had him for about 3 weeks in my 16 bow. He was bought under the name of "spotted angler"

[Reefcherie]

What a cute little butterball! "Spotted Angler"! They all have spots, so that is really helpful! How big is it? If you look through this thread, you'll find some helpful sources to guide you in identifying the species you have.

Cheri

[Jordan55]

He is about 3-4 inches big. The store I bought it from is a very intelligent source. The showed me a picture of it Marine Fishes by Scott Michael.... it is a Freckled or Scarlet Frogfish aka Antennarius coccineus.

[Wee Man]

thats what i figured you see the little white esca on his forehead.

[Fishy1]

I have Ollie, my giant frogfish in a 29 gallon right now. I have no clean up crew in with him. I'm going to be setting up a 55 gallon next week. I've always been afraid to add snails, hermit crabs, or emeralds, but a 55 gallon will need some help I think. How many of you keep your froggie with a cleanup crew and have not had a problem? Do you worry about the frog eating a snail, hermit, or crab like I do?LOL!! Thanks,

Janey

[Reefcherie]

I'd stay away from any type of crab or shrimp - my bet is that they'd be lunch in nothing flat. You wouldn't believe how fast mine catch shrimp - even a large one! I'm not sure if they'd mess with a hermit crab...that is a question mark in my mind. I've used large turbo snails w/ no problem w/ either angler of mine and there are many snail hitchhikers of smaller varieties that have ended up on there - it is a refugium. To my knowledge, neither angler has touched any snail.

Cheri

[Fishy1]

I'd love to be able to put some large snails in with Ollie.......I wonder if he ate one if he could digest the shell or if it would kill him? Ever since my other frogfish ate an arc eye hawkfish and died, I'm a little paranoid about putting anything in with this one. A 55 is pretty large not to have some kind of clean up crew......plus new live rock always needs some attention at first. What a dilemna! I may put some in and see if he goes into stalking mode.........thanks for letting me know your experience, Cheri

Janey

[Reefcherie]

Good luck! I'd never be able to tell with Tiger (the A. hispidus I got a couple of months ago). He quickly associated me with food and he lures nearly every time he sees me! I think this fish is in permanent stalking mode. I suspect snails move too slowly for them to take much notice. They are capable of spitting out things they don't want - to a point anyway. Tiger got a big mouthful of chaetomorpha recently when catching his fish....he got that out just fine.

I've learned to NEVER underestimate these fish though. Recently Tiger climbed onto the chaeotomorpha ball floating at the top, climbed completely out of the water to get over the barrier that separated him from Fuggly! I didn't see the climb, but there was absolutely no other way for him to get over there. Tiger is 4.5" and Fuggly is about 3.5". Fuggly was about to become breakfast when I walked in the room. Needless to say, the chaeotomorpha is no longer floating. Unless that crazy frogfish learns how to jump out of the water like his namesake.....I think Fuggly is now safe.

Cheri

[Fishy1]

Cheri, you were really lucky to walk in when you did! I never would have thought is possible for a frogfish to use a piece of chaeto like a frog uses a lilly pad..........maybe they are more closely related to frogs than we think I still don't know if Ollie is a giant or not. Most of the rays my daughter and I counuted are border line for either painted or giant......time will tell

Janey

[Reefcherie]

I don't think there was any actually jumping involved, but he did have to fully expose himself to the air when he climbed on top of the chaeto and then "stepped" onto and over the grid separating the two halves of the tank.

Doesn't the painted frogfish max out at about 6"? I would think you'd know fairly soon - isn't Ollie already at least 5"?

Cheri

[Fishy1]

Ollie is about 5 1/2 inches right now and hasn't had a growth spurt for about 2 to 3 months......I'm hoping he is a painted, but won't be disappointed if he's a giant. He so much fun I know he'll like the 55 better.......a lot more ambush spots. Really funny since all he ever eats is frozen silversides and krill.....like yours, he waves his lure everytime I pass by the tank.....so sweet!

Janey

[brahm]

Hi Guy's! Meet Vinnie, my Antennarius maculatus. I original picked him up for resale, but after a few short days I found myself growing attached to the little guy. (and now he is no longer for sale) He is about 3" and now happly gaurding the SPS section of , my holding system! Keeping away those unwated Fishies that would pollute the waters!!! He likes to sit on the egg crate and dangle his luer to get the ghost shrimp to come up from below!! Sorry for the in the net pic, but I'll have some better pictures once I catch him hanging out in the front of the tank




"Ghost Shrimp? What Ghost Shrimp? You never saw no ghost shrimp! Capichi!"


-Vinnie

[Reefcherie]

Ya gotta love those Warties! He's got great coloring - and yep - getting attached seems pretty common. Best of luck with him!

Cheri

[Wee Man]

WOW i love that coloration, my lfs had one in that color but after repeated attempts to tell them, they went ahead and lifted it out of the water. of course he died about 2 days later.

anyway, my new 15 gallon tank is fully cycled and im waiting for a fish store to get a frog in, wish me luck.

[brahm]

Look who I caught fishing while I was taking some zoa pictures!

[brahm]

[Reefcherie]

Great shots brahm!

Good luck Wee Man!

Cheri