Meet the Frogfish

What type of fish waddles along the ocean floor, uses camouflage to blend into its surroundings, and attracts prey with a lure like you’d find on a fishing pole? Meet the frogfish—one of the most unusual creatures in the ocean! 

Despite its name, the frogfish is not related to frogs—but the two animals both have stocky bodies! There are about 50 species of frogfish living in warm, coastal waters around the world. Frogfish can be as small as a lemon or as large as a watermelon. They come in a rainbow of colors. The skin color and texture of a frogfish helps it hide from and sneak up on prey. Read on to learn more about this fascinating creature!

A frogfish’s skin helps it hide by mimicking coral, rocks, sponges, or seaweed with its color and texture. A frogfish can change color over a few weeks to match a new location. “They are the chameleons of the sea,” says Shannon McCarthy, who cares for two frogfish at Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut.

On the frogfish’s head is a lure called the esca. This lure evolved to resemble small animals like shrimp or worms. A hungry frogfish hides and then flicks the esca back and forth. This movement attracts fish like a fishing lure does. A fish swimming by may not spot the frogfish until it’s too late. GULP!

Frogfish don’t move much, but they can hop in tiny bursts or jet away. To move, they bring in water through their mouths and push it out through tiny gill slits. The force of the water propels the fish forward. Then the fish catches itself by holding out its fins, explains McCarthy. “A frogfish is essentially falling gracefully,” she says.