55 



Order Pediculati : The Anglers 



about in floating masses of seaweed. All are fantastic in form 

 and color, usually closely imitating the objects about them, 

 The body is compressed, the mouth nearly vertical, and the skin 

 either prickly or provided with fleshy slips. 



The species of Pterophryne live in the open sea, drifting with 

 the currents in masses of sargassum. Two species, Pterophryne 

 tumida and Pterophryne gibba, are found in the West Indies and 

 Gulf Stream. Two others very similar, Pterophryne histrio and 

 Pterophryne ranina, live in the East Indies and drift in the Kuro 



FIG. 501. Fishing-frog, Antennarius nox Jordan. Wakanoura, Japan. 



Shiwo of Japan. All these are light olive-brown with fantastic 

 black markings. 



The genus Antennarius contains species of the shoals and 

 reefs, with markings which correspond to the colors of the rocks. 

 These fishes are firm in texture with a velvety skin, and the pre- 

 vailing color is brown and red. There are many species wher- 

 ever reefs are found. Antennarius ocellatus, the pescador, is 

 the commonest West Indian species. Antennarius multiocel- 

 latus, with many ocellated spots, is the Martin Pescador of Cuba, 

 also common. 



On the Pacific coast of Mexico the commonest species is 

 Antennarius strigatus. In Japan, Antennarius tridens abounds 

 everywhere on the muddy bottoms of the bays. Antennarius 



