Sargassum frogfish

Photo: Thomas Shahan · CC BY-NC

Sargassum frogfish are found wherever floating sargassum weed accumulates near sheltered coasts, and the Atlantic side of Martinique receives regular sargassum influxes that bring these animals into the lagoon. They are masters of crypsis — their mottled yellow-brown weed-like patterning and textured skin are near-perfect sargassum mimics. Like all frogfish they use a lure (the modified first dorsal spine, called an illicium) to attract prey, and they can engulf fish nearly their own body size in under 6 milliseconds — one of the fastest predatory strikes of any vertebrate.