Three very peculiar fish were recently caught off of Sanibel Island. Dubbed Mo, Larry, and Curly, they are now enjoying a short stay at Sanibel Sea School.

Larry hangs out at Sea School. Check out his cool elbow!

To best picture these fish, begin by considering their name: the Ocellated Frogfish (or, less helpfully, Antennaris ocellatus). This name is descriptive of their general appearance: their bodies are pinkish, chubby and lumpy, but smooth with no visible scales. They move slowly, using their pectoral fins not to swim but to walk around on the substrate.  The word “Ocellated” refers to the frogfishes’ spots: on their sides, they have three dark spots that are each surrounded by a lighter ring.

Protruding out from their forehead over their mouth, frogfish have a projection called an illicium with a fleshy lure that resembles a worm. When a fish comes near to check out the potential food, the frogfish opens its large mouth and sucks in both prey and the surrounding water. Their mouths and stomachs enlarge and are capable of ingesting prey twice the size of their entire body.

The frogfish were caught in a stone crab trap in about 18 – 25 feet of water by Captain Lamar Williams, a fishing guide and commercial stone crab fisherman. Ocellated Frogfish are native to the Gulf of Mexico, but Captain Lamar had never seen one before. They are very rarely seen around Sanibel, perhaps because of their excellent camouflage. Frogfish can change colors and display filamentous, algae-like projections that allow them to best blend in to their surroundings. It takes a very discerning eye to spot a frogfish in nature.  Also, because of their ambush hunting style, they are not likely to be caught by fishermen.

Curly the Ocellated Frogfish displays his fine physique

Mo, Larry, and Curly are camped out in our tank, and our holiday campers are often camped out in front of the tank watching them. We are very much enjoying their stay and are pretty sure they are the three cutest fish in the entire world.