The marine creature is known for adapting itself according to its surrounding. And this helps it to lure its prey. They are known to expand their mouth according to the size of their prey. Striated Frogfish (also known as hairy frogfish) is covered with spines that appear like hair all over its body. This fish has a special adaptation on the top of its head, called Esca, which can be regenerated. These fishes kill and eat the females.
The species can open its mouth extremely wide that helps them to suck their prey in one go and no chewing required by this species. The stomach of the striated frogfish is extremely flexible allowing it to digest prey twice of its size. They are very good at hiding in the plain sight and it is able to change colour to match its surroundings. The species were seen in orange, yellow, white, tan and black. The marine species which are known to prey on frogfish include lizardfish and scorpion fish. Additionally known as hairy frogfish and scientifically Antennarius striatus. The hairs on the body of the fish are actually skin appendages or spinules which cover the frogfish’s body, head and fins.
The striated frogfish is found in the tropical and subtropical waters from the Indian Ocean to the center of the Pacific Ocean, and in the Atlantic Ocean on the western coast of Africa and from the New Jersey coast to the southern Brazilian coast including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.
They are dependent on coral reefs to blend in and prey on smaller fish. After a frogfish has been subjected to a certain environment, they are able to take in their settings and change color over the span of a few weeks to blend in with the surroundings.
This is seen through the species Antennariu maculatus where the frogfish has changed to a white color in order to blend in with the bleached coral in the Indian Ocean.