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Sargassum Anglerfish
Histrio histrio (Linnaeus, 1758)
Above and below: A Sargassum Anglerfish on a mooring rope at a depth of 3m, Tufi, Papua New Guinea, January 2003. View larger image.
K. Pearce with a Sargassum Anglerfish at Lizard Island Research Station.
The Sargassum Anglerfish can be recognised by its body shape, dorsal fin structure, colour and presence of skin flaps and filaments. Unlike most other shallow-water anglerfishes (family Antennariidae) the skin of the Sargassum Anglerfish is smooth rather than prickly.
This fish has a dorsal fin divided into four parts. The most anterior part is the "fishing rod and lure" comprising the illicium and esca. This is followed by two separate spines and finally by a long-based soft-rayed portion.
The Sargassum Anglerfish varies from pale cream to greenish or dark brown. It has an irregular pattern of blotches and spots.
This species grows to 16cm in length.
Eggs, juveniles and adults usually live closely associated with floating algae. Adults are sometimes seen swimming under clumps of floating Sargassum weed. When threatened by a predator the Sargassum Anglerfish sometimes jumps out of the water onto the top of an algal mat. It may stay out of water for some time.
The Sargassum Anglerfish occurs in all tropical marine waters except the Eastern Pacific.
In Australia it is known from Rockingham, Western Australia, around the tropical north of the country, and south to Batemans Bay, New South Wales.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
The lower image shows K. Pearce looking at a Sargassum Anglerfish under a clump of floating seaweed in an aquarium at Lizard Island Research Station. The fish was found washed up on shore, and was transferred to an aquarium for teaching purposes. It died after feeding voraciously for three months. The fish was then fixed in alcohol to facilitate future genetic research. It is now registered in the Australian Museum Fish Collection (I.40230-001).
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
