FROGFISH

Blobby. Hairy. Lumpy. Prickly. Frogfish come in many shapes and sizes and varying degrees of ugliness. So what is it that makes them so damm cute? Is it the way they nestle amongst corals then seem to play peek-a-boo with you or the way they sit up on their little bent arms and legs with their toes splayed? Anyway, whatever it is that's so appealing, there is no doubt that frogfish are fascinating.

You have to be fairly lucky to spot these guys. Tiny orange froggies settle down amongst orange finger sponges, lime green chaps nestle under matching elephants ear sponges and others use their hairy status to wander a sandy seabed and look like nothing more than a fuzzy coconut husk. Some juveniles are even known to mimic colourful nudibranchs as nasty tasting nudis are rarely preyed upon by other creatures.

There are 210 species divided into four groups: batfish, goosefish, frogfish, and the deep-sea angler. The frogfish family, antennariidae, is a distinct group of predatory fishes with a very special feature - their modified dorsal spine acts as a lure for prey. Mostly referred to as frogfish, 'anglerfish' would probably be a more accurate description of the way they live, act and feed, but that title is reserved these days for the deep-sea variety of these critters.