All fish / Antennariidae

Sargassum Frogfish

Histrio histrio

Also known as sargassum fish, sargassumfish, sargassum anglerfish, sargassum angler, frogfish, sargasso fish, ハナオコゼ, 裸躄鱼, 斑纹躄鱼

A small, chunky frogfish with frilly skin flaps and yellow, brown and cream mottling that copies the floating sargassum weed it lives in. It uses its hand-like pectoral fins to clamber through weed and has a lure on its head for drawing in prey. Keepers like it for its odd looks and its fast ambush feeding.

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

100 litres

Keep as

Keep singly; cannibalistic towards its own kind

Diet

Carnivore: live or thawed shrimp, small fish and other meaty foods, fed sparingly

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

1 to 3 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Tropical and subtropical Atlantic, Indian and western Pacific oceans, among floating sargassum weed

Breeding

Females release a raft of eggs held in floating mucus, and the larvae then drift in open water. It is seldom bred in home aquariums because the larvae are very hard to rear.

Good to know

It will swallow any tankmate close to its own size, and it will even eat other sargassum fish, so it is best kept in a species-only tank with a tight lid. Overfeeding is a common cause of early death.