A creature feature on possibly the most iconic Sargassum endemic fish seemed fitting in the wake of the announcement of the finalisation of the BBNJ agreement.
The Sargassum frogfish is endemic to Sargassum and specialised to live its entire life within the algae. It is a master of camouflage in its colour and in the fleshy projections that grow from its body, mimicking weedy Sargassum.
Perhaps strangest of all, the Sargassum frogfish is able to crawl through the dense 'golden rainforest' where it makes its home with prehensile fins that can grasp the algae like hands. It is a voracious ambush predator that uses the fleshy esca on top of its head to lure in prey. They are suction feeders and can strike prey in a fraction of a second using jet propulsion, expelling water through specialised pores behind the pectoral fins. Their mouth is able to expand to swallow prey larger than themselves.
Chris Flook, boat and docks supervisor at Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and Sargassum explorer, says he always remembers the scientific name for the fish - Histrio histrio - "if you put something else in a tank with a Sargassum fish, it's history!"
Image: JP Rouja