Diving with a Frogfish

Last weekend Todd and I went scuba diving and had a wonderful encounter with a frogfish. I love these guys. Here's some info about this wonderful creature from "Hawaii's Fishes, A Guide for Snorkelers, Divers and Aquarists" by John P. Hoover....

Frogfishes, or anglerfishes, are the ultimate sedentary preditors. Barely recognizable as fishes, they sit for long periods in one spot, either blending in perfectly with the reef or mimicking its surrounding color and pattern. Their pectoral fins grasp the coral like hands or feet, and can be used (with the help of a joint) to clamber about. One of their dorsal spines resembles a fishing pole; a lure at the end is dangled over an enormous mouth. Fishes, large or small, attracted to the waving lure soon find themselves inside the frogsfish, whose innards can expend twelve-fold to accommodate guests of any size. With a reflex measured in milliseconds, frogfishes swallow their prey far too quickly for the eye to follow.

Most remarkably, these awkward fishes are jet propelled. Although poor swimmers in the normal sense, some (if not all) species can gulp water through their large mouths and eject it under pressure through small, round gill openings set far back on the body. By this means, perhaps aided by currents and surge, they can "fly" considerable distances.

Frogfishes rely almost entirely on camouflage for protection; they can inflate with water when molested, but have no sharp spines and are not poisonous. Preferring deeper water, they are unlikely to be seen by snorkelers. Nine species inhabit Hawaii's reefs. Most are small and rarely seen.