There was some VERY exciting news last weekend, the elusive Psychedelic Frogfish (Histiophryne psychedelica) has been spotted again in Ambon! This very rare and very trippy frogfish has only been described in 2009 and has hardly been seen again since. Practically nothing is known about them, except for the fact that they are amazing! Here is a video (property of Dive into Ambon) to prove it:

The psychedelic frogfish has only ever been seen alive in Ambon and they don’t seem to get much bigger than 10cm. Their exceptional colouration provides excellent camouflage and is thought to mimic coral species like Symphyllia sinuosa, Pectinia lactuca and other corals with similar morphology.

S. sinuosa (A) and P. lactuca (E). Photos: D. J. Hall from Pietsch et al. 2009

As a species of the genus Histiophryne, Psychedelic frogfish are “egg-brooders”, meaning they keep their eggs attached to their body to protect them from predators. It is even believed that they might use their eggs as bait to lure fish in that don’t recognise the eggs are attached to a predator larger than themselves! This is what it looks like:

Psychedelic frogfish with eggs. Photo: Francesca Diaco from Dive Photo Guide

Who could not get very enthusiastic about a fish this bizarre and beautiful? Just too bad I don’t have time to go to Ambon myself any time soon 😉