Toadfishes have a broad, flat head and a wide mouth, which usually has thick barbels or flaps of skin around it. Barbels (BAR-buhls) are feelers used for the senses of taste, touch, and smell. The eyes are on the top of the head and face upward. Some toadfishes have light organs along their sides and belly. Other toadfishes have hollow, venomous spines in the first dorsal (DOOR-suhl) fin and gill …
Toadfishes produce sound by contracting muscles on their swim bladder, which is an internal sac that fishes use to control their position in the water. Both males and females produce grunts, but only males make longer courtship calls, which sound like boat whistles or humming. Male toadfishes prepare nests, usually under rocks or shells but sometimes under objects discarded by humans, such as cans…
Physical characteristics: Oyster toadfish grow as long as 15 inches (38 centimeters). They have three dorsal-fin spines, no scales, and a spine under the gill cover. The second dorsal fin has 23 to 27 soft rays, and the anal fin has 19 to 23 soft rays. The body is dark and has no spots. The pectoral fin has cross bars. Geographic range: Oyster toadfish live along the Atlantic coast of the United S…
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