🐠 Shaggy Angler (Antennarius hispidus)
A Shaggy-Skinned Master of Disguise • Variable Colouring From White to Black • A Lure and an Explosive Vacuum-Suction Strike
 
📋 The Shaggy Angler, also known as the Hispid Frogfish, Shaggy Frogfish, or Zebra Anglerfish, has a remarkably variable appearance: its colouring ranges from white, cream, beige, and yellow to orange and black, often marked with zebra-like bands, and a shaggy covering of skin filaments across the body and fins helps it mimic algae or weed. It's native to the Indo-West Pacific, from East Africa and India to Taiwan and northern Australia.
It has a fascinating hunting method: it wiggles its modified first dorsal spine, tipped with a fleshy lure, to draw curious prey close, then strikes with an explosive vacuum-suction gulp, one of the fastest feeding mechanisms in nature. It's a true ambush predator that will eat almost anything small enough to fit in its enormous mouth, including fish and crustaceans close to its own size, and including cleaner shrimp. Keep it alone or only with tankmates too large to be swallowed.
It's sensitive during shipping and handling: like puffers, it has a delicate swim bladder, so it must never be exposed to air during transfers or acclimation. Every Shaggy Angler we ship is feeding well; feed it every 2-4 days in portions sized to its body, and our team can give portion and feeding guidance for your specimen.
 
💡 Highlights
🎨 Variable Colouring: White to black, often with zebra-like banding
🎣 Lure-Based Hunting: Wiggles a fleshy lure to draw prey within striking range
💨 An Explosive Vacuum-Suction Strike: One of nature's fastest feeding mechanisms
🐟 An Ambush Predator: Will eat tankmates close to its own size
💧 Never Expose to Air: A delicate swim bladder, like a puffer