New record of the frogfish

New record of the frogfish Fowlerichthys avalonis (Actinopterygii, Antennariidae) at the oceanic Revillagigedo Archipelago, west Mexico

Arturo Ayala-Bocos, Mauricio Hoyos-Padilla, Diana García-Benito y Violeta Martínez-Castillo

Marine Biodiversity Records, 2015, 8.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1755267215000275

Abstract

The roughbar frogfish, Fowlerichthys avalonis, is one of the largest frogfish residents of rocky bottoms, at depths of 10 to 300 m, inhabiting the eastern Pacific. It is an endemic species with a geographic range along the continental shelf from the southern United States to Chile. This study provides evidence for the occurrence of the species at Socorro Island (18846′19′′N 110853′43′′W), Revillagigedo Archipelago, Mexico, obtained from videos taken in a submersible at a depth of 66 m. This report extends the known distribution of F. avalonis to 400 km off the mainland coast of the Americas, and represents the fourth species of the family Antennariidae to be reported for the Revillagigedo Archipelago.

Keywords

Socorro Island, Submersible, Range Extension, Deep, Distribution