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Family Batrachoididae: Nineteen genera, about 69 species. Fresh, brackish and marine, things this family of fishes have in common is their not-so-good looks, reclusive bottom-dwelling nature, and territorial gruffness. Some species of this family are actually drop-dead gorgeous, though unfortunately rarely seen in the aquarium interest. The one that is (see below) often offered under various merchandising monikers, is of a percentage of Toadfishes that are venomous. The dorsal, anal, pectoral fin spines are hollow and have a painful (though less serious than true Lionfishes, Stonefish) venom associated with them. Be careful when in their tanks, netting them. Range: Coastal in Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Oceans, venturing into freshwater.
Species of Interest/Use to Aquarists: | Batrachomoeus ( in places Halophryne) trispinosus (Gunther 1861), the Freshwater "Lionfish", "Freshwater Stonefish". Three-Spined Frogfish. Actually, not a Lion, Stone, nor a Frog, but a Toadfish. Indo-West Pacific; NW Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, New Guinea. To one foot in length. Brackish to marine. Not really freshwater. |  
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| Opsanus pardus (Goode & Bean 1880), the Leopard Toadfish. Tropical West Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico. To fifteen inches in length. | |
| Opsanus tau (Linnaeus 1766), the Oyster Toadfish. Western Atlantic. Massachusetts to Florida. To fifteen inches in length. One in the Florida Aquarium and the other under a pier in Belize. |  
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| Sanopus splendidus Collete, Starck & Phillips 1974, the Coral or Splendid Toadfish. Tropical West Atlantic; endemic to Cozumel. To 24 cm. Cozumel pic. | 
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Behavior: Noise production. Called Toadfishes on a few counts. Their squatty profile, large mouths, capacious appetites, and "croaking" noise they make! Bibliography/Further Reading: Quinn, John R. 1975. The Toadfish (or stout-hearted defender of house and home). Marine Aquarist 6(2):75.
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