Habits Psychedelic frogfish

1 habits

1.1 locomotion
1.2 diet
1.3 defense
1.4 spawning

habits
locomotion

the psychedelic frogfish moves walking on pectoral fins on seafloor, , has been observed using fins push off sea floor while @ same time shooting water through gills propel forward via jet propulsion. when doing so, fish takes on ball shape, , behavior takes on of bouncing beach ball in wind. these modes of locomotion quite common frogfishes, although rare other fish.

diet

the fish s diet consists of shrimp , small fish. fish cannot attracted using illicium, spine reduced in size unnoticeable externally.

instead, psychedelic frogfish presumed strategically block off tight crevices serve passages chambers in rocks , coral. psychedelic frogfish reported wriggle tightly these holes, pushing fins, long 2 minutes before making way inside hole. skin may covered protective mucus aids in protecting scratches. may artifact of divers causing fright response, when using high-powered strobes on underwater cameras.

pschedelic frogfish squeezing hole. holes chosen tight may take minute or 2 fish maneuver position, wriggling , pushing pectoral fins.


defense

the psychedelic frogfish relatively defenseless, hiding in these tight passages highly unlikely fish capable of swallowing able reach it. combination of camouflage , tight cavities in might hide makes virtually impossible find psychedelic frogfish without overturning rocks , coral. according andy shorten, co-owner of maluku divers diving facility fish discovered, seeking out these fish going holy grail of divers while.

it not known purpose of frilled cheeks , chin, although pietsch, arnold, & hall hypothesize these serve same function whiskers on cat, detect movement of potential predators. hypothesized ball-like shape psychedelic frogfish takes on when swimming in open may form of camouflage. when assuming shape, fish looks less fish , more piece of debris bouncing along reef.

a mother psychedelic frogfish tail wrapped protectively around egg mass.


spawning

one female psychedelic frogfish laid cluster of 220 eggs. members of genus histiophryne, female wrapped caudal, dorsal, , anal fins around cluster of eggs, hiding view. fish had spawned when observed carrying eggs, length of time hatching unknown.