This was a very exciting and extremely special moment! I was able to capture a few images of a juvenile Painted Frogfish expand its jaw. Frogfish have the ability to enlarge their mouth cavity 12-fold to catch prey.

Frogfish mostly dwell in tropical and subtropical bodies of water. They are frequently spotted in open sand and gravel underwater. There are about 50 different species of Frogfish.

Frogfish are best described as small, short and stocky. The can grow up to 12 inches long. Their body color ranges from white and yellow to dark purple and black. Coloring of their body is extremely variable because they often tend to match their living environment. Some Frogfish have the ability to change color within a few weeks.

This yellow Painted Frogfish was spotted off the coast of Anilao in the Philippines.

Additional underwater images from the Philippines can be found here.

Wildlife Wednesday : Frogfish