Frogfish or Seaweed...Who's to Say! | National Geographic

As a passing fish, you'd be forgiven for confusing this frog fish with a mound of seaweed. But it would be the last mistake you probably ever make. As it turns out, the frog fish is a terrifying ambush predator. The spines on this fish act as a sort of hair, mimicking the look of coral or seaweed, but they also kind of look like Koosh balls from the 90s. You guys remember that?

In either case, it's the perfect camouflage. But hiding is just the half of it. The frog fish has another trick up its sleeve—its gills, whatever fish sleeve really is. When in position, the frog fish deploys an ingenious trick to lure in a meal: it is a fish fishing for fish!

Dude, this striped cardinal fish never sees it coming. It is fooled into thinking there's a worm and not a deadly trap at the mouth of a terrifying predator. The frog fish strikes fast, swallowing its meal whole. But maybe with a little indigestion! At least it's given it a quick death.

Geez, it went down in one fell swoop! Really should eat a little bit slower. I mean, savor your meal! You don't have time, you know. If you think about it, you got the frog fish and the cardinal fish. There are a lot of fish named after other animals, but they never named other animals after fish. I want to see like the fish monkey or like the fish turtle.

Can't think of any! Leave us a comment if you can and prove me wrong. Thanks for watching! [Music]