Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Antennarius scriptissimus

Scripted Frogfish

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	specimen and detail 'fishing beacon'	88KB
Article:	The World's Largest Frogfish Gerald McCormack, April 2005	Read

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Scripted Frogfish

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Marine, deepbottom

KEY FEATURES: Globous fish, 50cmTL with triangular cross-section (20cmHx30cmW). Skin loose, densely covered with small sharp spines. Brown with some dark markings and a large black eye-spot on upperhind body. Mouth vertical, with many small teeth. Rod (=1st spine) banded, 35mmTL, tip white bulbous 5mmLx3mmØ. 2nd spine triangular with rearside concave. 2rd spine rearward pointing held to body by flap of skin. Main dorsal fin with 12 loose internal spines. Tail with 6 spines. Pectorals small, fleshy, with a few spines.

Enlarged Image of 'Antennarius scriptissimus'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
+

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Antennarius scriptissimus Jordan, 1902
SYNONYMS: Antennarius sarasa Tanaka, 1916

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Lophiiformes; Antennarioidei; ANTENNARIIDAE

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: specimen+photo, March 2005, 3km east of Rarotonga, snagged on troll-line 2-3m below surface; Pupuke Robati Jr., tentative ID from photo by J.Randall and Ted Pietsch (U Washington) 3/2005 hence Antennarius scriptissimus, confirmed from specimen by Ted Pietsch as Antennarius scriptissimus 375mmSL, 45mm longer than any other specimen, 6/2006.

References:
None recorded.

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB05a, zM05a

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
Please refer to our use policy.

Biodiversity Database: More Options | Help

My List: View List | Edit List | Clear List