Longlure Frogfish

the longlure frogfish is a bottom dweller, mimicking the surrounding sponges by varying its background hue to match that of the dominant sponge in the area. It also has multiple ocellii (eye-like markings) that look like the openings in a sponge. The frogfish uses its stalked pectoral fins and its pelvic fins to slowly "walk" across the bottom. Frogfishes have been observed inflating themselves by filling their stomachs with air or water. This is a solitary species found in small populations. It is the most common frogfish species in the West Indies and harmless to humans.

The longlure frogfish is found in the Western Atlantic from Bermuda and the Bahamas, eastern Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico from the Florida Keys and the Flower Garden Banks to Tuxpan and along the Yucatan Peninsula to Cuba. It occurs throughout the Caribbean Sea and along the coasts of South America as far south as Salvador, Bahia in northeastern Brazil. It also extends to around the Fernando de Noronha islands and east as far as Ascension Island. This species is found at depths between 0 and 66 m (0 and 217 ft) on shallow reefs, especially in areas with sponges.

The longlure frogfish, like other frogfishes, spawns eggs that are encapsulated in a buoyant mass of mucus, referred to as an "egg raft". This structure may serve as a transport of moving a large number of eggs over a large geographical distances. Spawning can be dangerous for the frogfish due to the cannibalistic nature of the species. The male and female march across the bottom before spawning, with the female leading and the male close behind. His snout usually is in immediate contact with her vent. The female is bloated with eggs during this time, often swelling to twice her normal size. The pair will then make a dash to the surface and the egg mass bursts from the female. The frogfish may spawn several times over a few weeks.

The longlure frogfish has the genus name Antennarius which suffixes -ius to antenna, an allusion to first dorsal spine being adapted into a tentacle on the snout used as a lure to attract prey. The specific name multiocellatus combines multi, meaning "many", with ocellatus, meaning ocellus or eyespot, an allusion to the many eye-like spots on the flanks.