Painted frogfish
Antennarius pictus
Also known as Painted anglerfish, Black angler, Spotted frogfish, Painted angler
SaltwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–81°F
- 24–27°C
- pH
- 8.0–8.4
- Adult size
- 11.8 in
- 30 cm
- Minimum tank
- 29 gal
- 110 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 and Red Sea, living on reefs and sponge gardens where it sits still and ambushes passing fish.
Overview
The painted frogfish is a large ambush predator for the bottom of a saltwater species tank. It is a fish for experienced keepers.
Did you know
A painted frogfish can gradually change color over several weeks to blend into a new sponge or patch of reef. The same fish may be bright yellow one month and deep black the next.
Caring for the painted frogfish
Keep a painted frogfish alone in a tank of at least 29 gal (110 L), with rock perches and open sand. Hold the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a pH of 8.0 to 8.4.
It will not bother corals, but it eats fish and shrimp up to nearly its own size. No tank mate is truly safe with it.
Feed it with a feeding stick, starting on live shrimp. Move it on to thawed silversides and marine shrimp, offered two or three times a week. Watch for overfeeding, because a bloated frogfish can regurgitate and foul the tank.
Good to know
The painted frogfish belongs to the family Antennariidae and is larger than most frogfish in the trade. Its warty skin is often covered in spots and blotches with darker rings. It comes in almost any color, from black and maroon to yellow and orange. The lure at the end of its illicium mimics a small worm or fish, and it waves the lure to attract prey. It periodically sheds a thin cuticle layer of skin, which helps keep it clean of algae and hitch-hiking growth.
In the wild
The painted frogfish lives on reefs and sponge gardens in the Indo-Pacific and Red Sea. It mimics a sponge, sitting still and ambushing passing fish. Like other frogfish, it walks over the bottom on hand-like fins rather than swimming much.
Common questions
What size tank does a painted frogfish need?
A painted frogfish needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a painted frogfish need?
A painted frogfish is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.0–8.4.
What does a painted frogfish eat?
A painted frogfish eats fish and shrimp up to nearly its own size. Start it on live shrimp, then move it to thawed silversides and marine shrimp two or three times a week.
How big does a painted frogfish get?
An adult painted frogfish reaches about 11.8 in (30 cm).
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