Toad Fish

The toad-fish is a wide bodied, usually drab colored, often fish found mostly in warm coastal regions. The more than 30 species constute the family Batrachoididae. Toad-fish are usually less than 38 cm (15 in) long, are often slime covered, and have a large head with directed eyes and a large mouth. Some species genus Thalassophryne have venom glands attached to fanglike dorsal fin spines. Other species (genus Porichthys), often known as midshipmen, have light organs on the belly. Mostly bottom dwelling and slow moving, toad-fish feed on crustaceans, mollusks, and small fish. One common species in the western Atlantic is the oyster toad-fish, Opsanus. When caught by an angler, it often grunts, erects spines, and may inflict a painful wound.

Toad Fish

The oyster toad-fish whose name is derived from its warty skin, lives in coastal water of the western Atlantic.