Macro
Psychedelic frogfish
Histiophryne psychedelica
A flat-faced frogfish patterned with fingerprint-like white and orange stripes, described in 2009 from Ambon Bay. It bounces and walks along the bottom on its fins instead of swimming. FishBase records it as Not Evaluated on the IUCN Red List, so no formal conservation status exists for it.
- Max size
- About 9cm (3.5in) standard length; males smaller at around 6.5cm
- Habitat
- Shallow rubble and coral-rubble slopes in Ambon Bay, recorded at roughly 5–10m. Wedges into crevices and under debris rather than sitting in the open.
Best places to dive with Psychedelic frogfish
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | rare |
| February | rare |
| March | rare |
| April | rare |
| May | rare |
| June | rare |
| July | rare |
| August | rare |
| September | rare |
| October | rare |
| November | rare |
| December | rare |
The reason many divers book Ambon, and the thing most of them do not see. Public reports of live sightings thinned after roughly 2018–2019, with one diver logging a small individual in February 2019 on the coral side rather than the muck. Guides who do know current animals generally withhold the locations to deter aquarium collectors. Treat an encounter as a long shot, not an itinerary item.
Sources & last checked
Checked August 2026
This is a researched draft, not yet human-verified. The seasonality and logistics are drawn from the sources below — confirm specifics (permits, fees, closures) with an operator before you book.
- Histiophryne psychedelica, Psychedelic frogfish — FishBase
- Psychedelic Frogfish still in Ambon? — ScubaBoard
- Psychedelic frogfish — Wikipedia
Note on the data: Known essentially only from Ambon, with a small number of Bali records. Divers report it spends most of its time deeper than recreational depths, which is one explanation offered for how rarely it is seen.