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Sculptured Frogfish
Halophryne queenslandiae (De Vis, 1882)
A Sculptured Frogfish at a depth of 15 m, North Solitary Island, New South Wales. Photo © I. Shaw. View larger image.
The Sculptured Frogfish can be recognised by its distinctive body shape and multi-lobed tentacles on the head and body. The pectoral fins are very large. There is a wide, slightly concave gap between the eyes.
This species grows to 30 cm in length.
It is found on rocks and sand, at depths of 15 m or more.
The Sculptured Frogfish is an endemic species that occurs from northern Queensland, to northern New South Wales.
Eight species of frogfishes (family Batrachoididae) are recorded from Australian waters. The southern distribution limit of the Sculptured Frogfish is overlapped by the northern distribution limit of the Eastern Frogfish.
Further reading
- Hutchins, J.B. 1976. A revision of the Australian frogfishes. Records of the Western Australian Museum. 4(1): 3-43, figs 1-17.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-Eastern Australia. Crawford House Press. Pp. 437.
- Paxton, J.R., D.F. Hoese, G.R. Allen & J.E. Hanley. 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia Vol.7 Pisces Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Survey. Pp. i-xii, 1-665.
