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| Angler (Fishing-frog) v Ornate Wobbegong | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 10 2014, 04:16 PM (2,051 Views) | |
| Taipan | Mar 10 2014, 04:16 PM Post #1 |
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Angler (Fishing-frog) - Lophius piscatorius The angler, also sometimes called fishing-frog, frog-fish or sea-devil, Lophius piscatorius, is a monkfish in the family Lophiidae. It is found in coastal waters of the northeast Atlantic, from the Barents Sea to the Strait of Gibraltar, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Within some of its range, including the Irish Sea this species comprises a significant commercial fishery. It has a very large head which is broad, flat and depressed; the rest of the body appears to be a mere appendage. The wide mouth extends all the way around the anterior circumference of the head, and both jaws are armed with bands of long pointed teeth. These are inclined inwards, and can be closed so as to offer no impediment to an object gliding towards the stomach, but to prevent its escape from the mouth. The pectoral and pelvic fins are so articulated as to perform the functions of feet, so that the fish is able to walk along the bottom of the sea, where it generally hides itself in the sand or amongst seaweed. All round its head and also along the body the skin bears fringed appendages resembling short fronds of seaweed, a structure which, combined with the extraordinary faculty of assimilating the colour of the body to its surroundings, assists this fish greatly in camouflaging itself in the places which it selects on account of the abundance of prey. It has no scales. Female anglers grow to a length of more than 2 m. ![]() Ornate Wobbegong - Orectolobus ornatus The ornate wobbegong (Orectolobus ornatus) is a species of carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae, found in the western Pacific Ocean around eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Australia, between latitudes 1° N and 34° S (near Sydney). As yet, only Australian populations are known to certainly belong to this species, and it is possible populations in other countries actually represent a separate, undescribed species. The maximum reported length of the ornate wobbegong is 1.17 metres (3.8 ft). Reports of a larger maximum size is due to confusion with the recently revalidated gulf wobbegong (O. halei), which for the most part is found further south than the ornate wobbegong. ![]()
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| Vivyx | Mar 11 2014, 05:25 AM Post #2 |
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Felines, sharks, birds, arthropods
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Hard to say. Wobbegongs don't really impress me and at parity I would deffo favour the angler, but the angler looks rather small....... But then again I don't really know much about Fishing Frogs
Edited by Vivyx, Mar 11 2014, 06:19 AM.
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| retic | Mar 11 2014, 06:53 AM Post #3 |
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snake and dinosaur enthusiast
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i'm not sure about this match. for now i'll favor the angler since it grows to larger sizes according to the op. |
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| Marek | Mar 11 2014, 07:45 AM Post #4 |
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Herbivore
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Thanks for posting this, Taipan. Both species are truly dragons of the ocean floor, with massize jaws and lightning attacks; very impressive animals, to say the least. At length parity, I would definitely say that the ornate wobbegong, with less of its mass centered around the head and with an overall less rounded build, (following the venerable Square-Cube law) is more muscular, and overall, it takes larger prey compared to the body size (although I am not completely sure of this; I do think its jaws are wider in relation to its body as well). Even large monkfish are composed almost entirely of their massive heads, being the marine equivalents of horned frogs. Point in case:![]() The wobbegong has a more proportionally uniform physique. This means that, like other sharks, it is more easily adapted to different niches, specialized as it is, because it is not nearly as esoteric in build and function as the angler. The angler might arguably be better suited to dispatching prey that it can swallow whole, but perhaps a confrontation with similarly sized enemies will not end so unilaterally. Being classified in Chondrichthyes, the shark has certain advantages in terms of sensory keenness, agility, and speed. It is also less massive (which is an advantage underwater) and has placoid scales, in contrast with the angler, which bares smooth, scaleless skin and is a member of Osteichtyes, and thus is supported by a reliable yet bulky bony skeleton rather than cartilage. This is a useful adaptation, as anglers do not need to move very often anyway, but it would obviously be a drawback in a battle. The shark has the advantage in terms of locomotion and defense, but I have to give the edge in weaponry to the angler by a slight margin. Its jaws are completely fringed with huge piercing teeth, while the shark has only parts of its jaws lined with teeth, although the jaws do contain several rows, so the shark is less susceptible to damage by means of this adaptation and by having a cartilage skeleton. Overall, unless the wobbegong is so small that it can be consumed entirely (which I doubt, as they normally do not exceed 1.2 meters), I think the victory is almost definitely granted to the predator able to deliver the first strike. Although it is an extremely difficult match to call, I believe that the wobbegong will reign supreme more often than not. |
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| Vobby | Mar 12 2014, 07:34 AM Post #5 |
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Omnivore
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I'm by no means an expert about these animals, but I have to disagree with wath Marek said: I have the impression that the Angler should definetly have upper hand, due to the fact that it has a much bigger head, at least judging from the pictures I'm viewing on google images, so that its bite would be much more damaging. Also, since both these animals are used to swim near to the sea floor, the battle is more likely to happening exacly there, where the better maneuvrability of the Wobbegong would be less an advantage than in open water, and where the fight is more likely to be frontal from the start, so the that the shark wouldn't be able to pass trough the bigger head of its opponent, which would attack much more easily. Just my impressions here, it's the first time I think about these fishes, but I'm always impressed by big mouthed predators
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| Marek | Mar 12 2014, 01:05 PM Post #6 |
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Herbivore
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These are some good points you raise, but I think either can subdue the other with a well-timed bite, so overall the battle depends on the circumstances. If one is stationary while the opponent passes by, the waiting animal will most definitely win. If it is an open confrontation near the seabed, the angler will most likely win. If it is an open confrontation at a higher elevation, the wobbegong will win. Overall, as I've said before, the first striker will win altogether, and that will most often be the shark, so I give a slight edge in that direction. Again, this is an extremely close battle. I don't know if I can say that I'm proud to have suggested it?
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