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| fishes text index | photo index |
| Phylum Chordata > Subphylum Vertebrate > fishes |
| Toadfishes Family Batrachoididae updated Aug 10
Where seen? These ugly, bottom-dwelling fishes are commonly seen on all our shores but often overlooked. Skulking under stones, near coral rubble, or half covered in sand and sediments, they are hard to spot. Even out in the open, they look like algae-covered stones. What are toadfishes? Toadfishes belong to the Family Batrachoididae. According to FishBase: the family has 19 genera and 69 species. They are found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. Features: To about 30cm, but those seen are usually about 15cm long. A toadfish is basically an enormous head on a small body! It has a broad, flat head with eyes near the top. At night, the fish is often spotted by the red reflection of torchlight in its large eyes under a rock. Its wide mouth circles the broad head and is usually camouflaged with fleshy barbels and flaps around the lips. It lacks scales and has a tough, leathery smooth skin with mottled patterns. Sometimes mistaken for other bottom dwelling fishes that look similar. Here's more on how to tell apart fishes that look like stones. Croaking fish: 'Batrachos' means 'frog' in Greek and members of the toadfish family do indeed croak when distressed. They make these sounds by vibrating the swim bladder. They are commonly called toadfishes instead of frogfishes because the Frogfish is another kind of fish. What does it eat? A sluggish fish that swims poorly, the toadfish is an ambush predator. It waits motionless for small fish, crabs and prawns to wander by. Suitable prey that comes near enough is sucked into its wide jaws. These jaws expand suddenly into a cavernous gape and the prey is usually swallowed whole! The toadfish's stomach can expand greatly too, to hold large prey. The jaws are set with bands of small, sharp teeth to prevent prey from escaping. Don't touch the Toad: Beware of the sharp spines on the sides of its head that can cause painful pricks. Some may even bite if handled. Fish in space! The balancing organs of some members of the toadfish family are very similar to ours so they are much studied for medical applications. In fact, some members of this family were sent up in the space shuttle to study the effects of space travel on balance! Toadfish babies: The eggs are laid on ceilings of narrow or low overhangs of rock or rubble. Human uses: In some places, members of this family are considered edible delicacies. It is also sold in the live aquarium trade. Status and threats: Our toadfishes are not listed among the threatened animals of Singapore. However, like other creatures of the intertidal zone, they are affected by human activities such as reclamation and pollution. Over-collection can also have an impact on local populations. |
 Changi, Apr 04  Basically an enormous head on a small body! Chek Jawa, Jul 05  This is all you would usually see of a toadfish! Chek Jawa, May 04  Juvenile toadfish Pulau Sekudu, Jun 05 |
They are ambush predators; lurking in hiding for passing
prey. | Family
Batrachoididae recorded for Singapore from Wee Y.C. and Peter K. L. Ng. 1994. A First Look at Biodiversity in Singapore. *from Lim, Kelvin K. P. & Jeffrey K. Y. Low, 1998. A Guide to the Common Marine Fishes of Singapore. **from FishBase
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References
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Periplus Editions. 292 pp.|
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