This group of fish are experts at camouflage. These fishes normally rest on the bottom and do not have a typical fishlike shape. The identification group is therefore called “Odd-Shaped Bottom-Dwellers”. You can learn more about identification groups in the Fish Identification Specialty.
Frog fish
The masters of disguise, there are over 47 different species of Angler fish. The species that is found in the waters of Bonaire is the long lure frogfish characterized its short round appearance. They are small fishes, generally not exceeding 20cm. Their skin is thick and covered in highly modified scales called dermal spicules. These spicules are prickly in appearance and resemble the warts of a toad. This frogfish has small eyes, a very large mouth that is directed upwards and their pectoral fins are situated on stalks. Their gill openings are very small and located behind their pectoral fins. Normally quite difficult to spot but sometimes found in rocky areas or between reef formations.
Seahorses
The long-snouted seahorse a small-sized fish the average size is more or less 12 cm. Its head and dorsal ridge have often some more or less long and numerous dermal filaments which can be simple or bifid. Its color ranges from dark green to different variants of brown to yellow, and the body is often speckled with small white dots.
Scorpion fish
Scorpionfish are bottom-dwelling fish that have also been called rockfish or stonefish because of their tendency to live among rocks near the seafloor. There are more than 200 known species of scorpionfish in the ocean. Members of this fish family are commonly found in the Indian and South Pacific Oceans where water temperatures are temperate and coral reefs are plentiful. Coral reefs provide the perfect space for a scorpionfish to hide and hunt for prey and also avoid any potential predators brave enough to take a bite. But, the body of a scorpionfish is just as important as its habitat when it comes to remaining unseen. Scorpionfish are covered in feathery fins or skin flaps that help with camouflage against surrounding coral. Some scorpionfish are dull in color–mottled brown or yellow– while other species are bright red or orange, making them virtually invisible when hidden among either rocks or reefs. Scorpionfish are also equipped with spines containing dangerous venom. When the spines pierce a predator, the venom is injected immediately at the point of contact.