Painted frogfish

Photo: craigjhowe · CC BY-NC

The painted frogfish occurs at TK in at least 5 colour morphs including white, black, orange, yellow, and mottled, each blending with different sponge colonies on the rubble. It lures prey with an esca (bait) mimicking a small worm, then strikes in 6 milliseconds — too fast to see without high-speed video. A single individual occupies the same sponge for weeks, making guided return visits productive for photographers wanting natural-light shots.