Halophryne diemensis
Toadfishes are bottom-dwellers, ranging from near shore areas to deep waters. They tend to be omnivorous, eating sea worms, crustaceans, mollusks and other fish. They often hide in rock crevices, among the bottom vegetation, or even dig dens in the bottom sediments, from which they ambush their prey. Toadfish can survive out of water for as much as 24 hours, and some can move across exposed mudflats at low tide using their fins.
Males make nests, and then attract females by "singing", that is, by releasing air by contracting muscles on their swim bladder. The sound has been called a 'hum' or 'whistle', and can be loud enough to be clearly audible from the surface. The eggs are sticky on one side, so that the female can attach them to the side of the nest. Each male will attract numerous females to his nest, so that the eggs within will have multiple different mothers.
The male then guards the nest against predators. During this period, the male must survive on a limited supply of food, as they are not able to leave the immediate vicinity to hunt. The eggs rapidly develop into embryos, but these remain attached to the side of the nest until the age of about three to four weeks. After this time, they continue to cluster around and hide behind the male, until they are large enough to fend for themselves. This degree of parental care is very unusual among fishes.[Wikipedia, Aug 2011]
Halophryne diemensis
Toadfishes are bottom-dwellers, ranging from near shore areas to deep waters. They tend to be omnivorous, eating sea worms, crustaceans, mollusks and other fish. They often hide in rock crevices, among the bottom vegetation, or even dig dens in the bottom sediments, from which they ambush their prey. Toadfish can survive out of water for as much as 24 hours, and some can move across exposed mudflats at low tide using their fins.
Males make nests, and then attract females by "singing", that is, by releasing air by contracting muscles on their swim bladder. The sound has been called a 'hum' or 'whistle', and can be loud enough to be clearly audible from the surface. The eggs are sticky on one side, so that the female can attach them to the side of the nest. Each male will attract numerous females to his nest, so that the eggs within will have multiple different mothers.
The male then guards the nest against predators. During this period, the male must survive on a limited supply of food, as they are not able to leave the immediate vicinity to hunt. The eggs rapidly develop into embryos, but these remain attached to the side of the nest until the age of about three to four weeks. After this time, they continue to cluster around and hide behind the male, until they are large enough to fend for themselves. This degree of parental care is very unusual among fishes.[Wikipedia, Aug 2011]