Painted Frogfish

Photo: Marine Explorer (Dr John Turnbull) · CC BY-NC-SA

Painted frogfish are supreme ambush predators that sit completely motionless on sponge-covered surfaces at Bus Stop Bommie, their warty skin textured to perfectly match the surrounding growth in colour, pattern, and even surface relief. They lure prey within range by waving a modified dorsal spine tipped with a fleshy lure resembling a small fish or shrimp, then strike with the fastest vertebrate strike speed ever measured, lunging and expanding their jaw in under 6 milliseconds. Their extreme site fidelity means the same individuals can be found on the same sponge over weeks or months.