In light of Frank Baensch’s recent larviculture success in being the first to rear eggs of the pelagic spawning Commerson’s Frogfish, we found several videos featuring the mating rituals of two frogfish species and show what had to happen on the reefs off Oahu just a short time prior to Baensch collecting that fateful egg raft.
The courtship and mating of pelagic-spawning frogfishes & anglerfishes is an incredible sight. The female rapidly swells with eggs to the point where she appears ready to burst. The act culminates in what some have described as a tornado of eggs and sperm, with a massive egg-raft or veil (as it is sometimes called) being expelled by the female in a matter of seconds. If you’ve never seen it before, you’re going to be impressed and perplexed.
Along Florida’s Atlantic Coast – Striated Frogfish
Witness the courtship and spawning of the Striated Frogfish, Antennarius striatus, and watch as a massive egg ribbon is released into the ocean current. Anna DeLoach narrates the rare event that was filmed during a night dive at the famous Blue Heron Bridge, which connects West Palm Beach with Singer Island on Florida’s east coast.
Watch This Amazing Spawning Event
Bonus! Another Video of Striated Frogfish Spawning at Blue Heron Bridge
In Bonaire – The Longlure Frogfish
A bit further south, videographer Ellen Muller, Ellen Bonaire on YouTube, has shared two night-dive videos from the reefs of Bonaire that beautifully capture the courtship and mating of the Longlure Frogfish, Antennarius multiocellatus. In one instance, two males join and spawn with the female, as if to compete over who can fertilizer more of the raft!
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