Description:

Dorsal spines: 3; Dorsal rays: 12-13; Anal spines: 0; Anal rays: 8.

Body occasionally covered in wart-like swellings. First dorsal spine (forming the illicium) considerably longer than second. Esca consists of flattened tuft and long filament. 
Pronounced second and third dorsal spines. Second dorsal spine curved posteriorly and bound to head by thick spiny skin. Caudal peduncle distinct. 

Colour. Highly variable: yellow, pink, orange, green, black. Lighter phases finely peppered with small dark spots or mottled with darker patches of variable size. Darker 
phases with light coloured (white to pink, green or blue) patches and with white tips to the pectoral fins. 
 

Maturity: Unknown. Max length : 45.0 cm TL. 
 

Inhabits sheltered reefs and lagoons, (depth 1-50 m, usually shallower than 20 m) often associated with sponges. Benthic. Solitary and uncommon. An ambush predator that relies 
on camouflage. Utilises modified first dorsal spine as a rod (illicium) and lure (esca) to attract potential prey into close proximity enabling surprise predation. Oviparous. 
 

This species is not protected or subject to fishery regulations. It is on occasion caught as bycatch in the hand line fishery but typically released. There is no information 
pertaining to post catch survival. 
 

Can easily be confused with A. pictus, which usually has 3 light-edged spots on the caudal fin.

Allen, G.R. & M.V. Erdmann, (2012). Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth, Australia: University of Hawai'i Press, Volumes I-III. Tropical Reef Research.
Bray, D.J. & Thompson, V.J. (2017). Antennarius commerson in Fishes of Australia,  https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/2846 (06/08/22)
Froese, R. & D. Pauly. (Eds.) (2022). FishBase. https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Antennarius-commerson.html (08/08/22). 
Mason-Parker, C. et al. (2021). Antennarius commerson in Reef Fishes of Seychelles. John Beaufoy Publishing Ltd, UK
Randall, J.E. & C. Anderson, (1993). Annotated checklist of the epipelagic and shore fishes of the Maldives Islands. Ichthyol. Bull. of the J.L.B. Smith Inst. of Ichthyol. (59):1-47.
Smith, M. & Heemstra, P. (Eds.) (1999). Smiths’ Sea Fishes Edition 6. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 10.1007/978-3-642-82858-4
 

Mason-Parker, C. & Nevill, J.E.G. (2022). Antennarius commerson, Giant Frogfish. Seychelles Seatizens. www.seatizens.sc. https://seatizens.sc/species/antennarius-commerson-lacepede-1798/