Sanguine Frogfish: A Fish With Its Own Fishing Rod

The sanguine frogfish is one of the reef's strangest residents — a round, lumpy little fish that 'walks' on arm-like fins and dangles a tiny built-in lure to fish for its dinner. It can also change color to match its surroundings. Finding one is a genuine treat. Here's how to spot it near Jacó, plus five fun facts.

Sanguine Frogfish · Antennarius sanguineus

How to spot the sanguine frogfish near Jacó

Look closely at sponges, rocky nooks, and rubble patches for a round, lumpy blob that doesn't look much like a fish at all. The sanguine frogfish sits still and blends in, often red, orange, or yellow to match a sponge. Spotting one takes a slow, patient eye — but the odd, un-fishy shape gives it away once you see it.

5 fun facts about the sanguine frogfish

• It goes fishing. A modified fin on its head works like a tiny fishing rod with a fleshy 'bait' on the end, which it wiggles to lure small fish right up to its mouth.
• It walks on its fins. Instead of swimming much, it uses its arm-like pectoral fins to clamber slowly over the bottom, almost like it's walking.
• A color-changer. It can slowly shift color — red, orange, yellow, brown — to match the sponge or rock it's sitting on, perfecting its disguise.
• The fastest gulp in the sea. When prey takes the bait, it opens its mouth and inhales in about six-thousandths of a second — one of the fastest feeding strikes known in fish.
• A big appetite. It can swallow prey nearly as large as itself, its stretchy mouth and stomach expanding to fit the meal.

The sanguine frogfish is just one of many characters down there. See the whole cast in our Snorkel Jaco fish directory, or read real guest photos and reviews on the Snorkel Jaco reviews.