usually is in immediate contact with her vent. The female is bloated with eggs during this time, often swelling to twice her normal size. The pair will then make a dash to the surface and the egg mass bursts from the female. The frogfish may spawn several times over a few weeks. Diet A voracious ambush predator, it feeds mainly on fishes, but also on crabs and mantis shrimp. The name "longlure" is refers to the elongated illicium which acts as a fishing lure. The illicium is the first spine of the dorsal fin, highly modified into a long rod with a lure (esca) at the end. In most species, the esca looks like potential prey, such as a worm, crustacean, or even a fish. The frogfish will lie in a sponge and wait for a fish to swim by. It will then wiggle the lure around to attract the prey. It is capable of swallowing a fish that is larger in size than itself. Like a recreational human angler, the frogfish will move to a different location if no fish are biting. The frogfish is reported to be the fastest animal alive. It can move and suck in prey at speeds as quickly as 0.006 seconds, so only high-speed film can catch the action. References External links http://www.marinebio.com/species.asp?id=28 http://www.tolweb.org/Antennarius http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/gallery/Descript/FrogFish.htm aboutfishonline.com page on Antennarius multiocellatus saltwaterfish.com page on Antennarius multiocellatus longlure frogfish Fish of the Western Atlantic Fauna of Ascension Island longlure frogfish