Toadfish

{{short description|Common name used for fish}} '''Toadfish''' is the common name for a variety of species from several different families of fish, usually because of their toad-like appearance or calls using their swimbladder.

<gallery class="center" mode="nolines" widths="250" noborder="no" caption="Species referred to as toadfish"> File:OysterToadfish.jpeg|The oyster toadfish (''Opsanus tau'') is one of the Batrachoididae File:Tetractenos glaber.JPG|Smooth toadfish, ''Tetractenos glaber'' (Tetraodontidae) File:Neophrynichthys latus (Dark toadfish).gif|Dark toadfish, ''Neophrynichthys latus'' (Psychrolutidae) </gallery>

==Batrachoididae== The entire family ''Batrachoididae'' are typically called toadfishes. They are benthic ambush predators, known for their ability to produce sound with their swim bladders; the midshipmen are especially well-known for this ability.

==Tetraodontidae== The name ''toadfish'' is applied to some species of the family Tetraodontidae, including: * The banded toadfish, ''Torquigener pleurogramma'' (Australia) * The blackspotted toadfish, ''Arothron nigropunctatus'' (tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans) * The common toadfish (or toadfish), ''Tetractenos hamiltoni'' (Australia and New Zealand) * The prickly toadfish, shared by ''Contusus richei'' (Australia and New Zealand) and ''Contusus brevicaudus'' (Australia) * The red striped toadfish, ''Tetraodon erythrotaenia'' (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea) * The silver-cheeked toadfish, ''Lagocephalus sceleratus'' (tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans, invasive in the Mediterranean Sea) * The smooth toadfish, ''Tetractenos glaber'' (Australia)

==Psychrolutidae== The name ''toadfish'' is also applied to some sculpin species of the family Psychrolutidae: * The dark toadfish, ''Neophrynichthys latus'' (New Zealand) * The frilled toadfish, ''Ambophthalmos magnicirrus'' (Macquarie Island) * The pale toadfish, ''Ambophthalmos angustus'' (New Zealand)

== Gobiidae == * The toadfish goby, ''Cryptopsilotris batrachodes'' (Atlantic Ocean)

==External links== *[http://www.fishbase.org/ComNames/CommonNameSearchList.cfm?commonname=toadfish Fishbase list of species commonly called "toadfish"]

==See also== * Frogfish and Frog-fish, types of anglerfish * Toadie Rebecchi, Australian soap opera character nicknamed "Toadfish" Category:Fish common names