An unusual sighting of an Antennariidae, more commonly known as a frogfish, was reported on Saturday in the Gulf of Eilat by amateur diver Menashe Pinchas.
Pinchas, a resident of Ganei Tikva and an amateur diver with diving experience in Israel and abroad, spotted the rare fish at approximately 12 meters. The fish was seen camouflaged on a submerged metal structure near an artificial reef.
Pinchas described the fish as being very still – a common behavior expected from the fish. It only took slight eye movements, according to Pinchas, who was able to capture a still image of the frogfish from his video footage.
The frogfish is not considered to be native to the Gulf of Eilat – making a sighting of the fish a rare one – due to the location outside of the natural distribution range of the Antennariidae family and also due to the fish’s elusive nature.
Masters of camouflage
Masters of camouflage, the frogfish are extremely hard to detect, even when they are present.
Knowing the rarity of seeing such a fish, Pinchas submitted the footage to the Israel Nature and Parks Authority as well as the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat.
“As someone who’s been diving for many years, I can say this is not an everyday sighting,” Pinchas said. “It was a fascinating and thrilling moment, and I hope the footage helps broaden our understanding of fish species in the Gulf – whether this is a one-time event or a sign of deeper changes happening beneath the surface of one of the most diverse and spectacular marine environments in the world.”