TankBud

Clown frogfish

Antennarius maculatus

Also known as Warty frogfish, Wartskin frogfish, Warty anglerfish, Clown anglerfish

SaltwaterFish

Clown frogfish (Antennarius maculatus)
iNaturalist.org (Dan Schofield) (Dan Schofield) · CC BY 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.0–8.4
Adult size
5.9 in
15 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe with caution
Family
Antennariidae
Origin
Native to the Indo-Pacific, living on rubble, sponge and reef edges where it sits camouflaged waiting to ambush prey.

Overview

The clown frogfish is a bottom-dwelling ambush predator for a saltwater species tank. It is for experienced keepers.

Did you know

A hunting frogfish can open its mouth and suck in prey in about six thousandths of a second. That is one of the quickest feeding strikes ever measured in a fish.

Caring for the clown frogfish

Keep a clown frogfish in its own species tank of 20 gal (75 L) or more, with rock and an open bottom. Hold the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a pH of 8.0 to 8.4.

It ignores corals, but it is a pure predator that eats any fish or shrimp it can fit in its mouth. No tank mate can be trusted with it, so plan on keeping it alone.

Feed it with tongs or a feeding stick. Start it on live saltwater shrimp, then wean it onto thawed silversides and shrimp. Do not overfeed, because a frogfish will gorge until it harms itself.

Good to know

The clown frogfish belongs to the family Antennariidae and is also called the warty frogfish or clown anglerfish. It is lumpy and warty, and it comes in white, yellow, orange or red with dark scribbles. It hunts with a modified first dorsal spine, the illicium, tipped with a fleshy lure that mimics a small fish or shrimp. It wiggles that lure to draw prey within reach, and it can swallow prey nearly as large as itself. Modified pectoral fins work like hands, so it can perch and creep along the bottom.

In the wild

The clown frogfish is native to the Indo-Pacific, where it lives on rubble, sponge and reef edges. It sits there camouflaged as a sponge or a piece of rubble, waiting to ambush prey.

Common questions

What size tank does a clown frogfish need?

A clown frogfish needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a clown frogfish need?

A clown frogfish is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.0–8.4.

What does a clown frogfish eat?

A clown frogfish is a pure predator that eats fish and shrimp. Start it on live saltwater shrimp, then wean it onto thawed silversides and shrimp fed from tongs or a feeding stick.

How big does a clown frogfish get?

An adult clown frogfish reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm).

Related species