All fish / Antennariidae

Striated Frogfish

Antennatus striatus

Also known as striated frogfish, striped frogfish, hairy frogfish, splitlure frogfish, black frogfish, antennarius striatus, striped anglerfish, frogfish, ปลากบลาย, オオモンカエルアンコウ, ikan kodok, 条纹躄鱼

A lumpy, globe-shaped ambush predator covered in skin flaps or hair-like filaments, usually yellow, orange or tan with dark wavy stripes, though some are nearly black. It uses a forked lure on its head to attract prey and walks along the bottom on its arm-like pectoral fins, which makes it a fascinating species-only display fish.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

15 cm

Temperature

22 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Keep singly

Diet

Carnivore: live then frozen whole foods such as shrimp, silversides and fish pieces; trained off live feeders where possible

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Circumtropical: Indo-Pacific, eastern and western Atlantic including the Caribbean and West Africa

Breeding

Females release a floating gelatinous egg raft after a short courtship, and the larvae are pelagic. Captive breeding is very rare and raising the young is extremely difficult.

Good to know

It will swallow any fish or shrimp close to its own size, so house it alone or only with large tankmates. The genus has been revised and older sources list it as Antennarius striatus; frogfish species are hard to tell apart.