Vocabulary
- Oyster Toadfish – a fish found in oyster reefs and vegetated muddy bottoms; it has a large head and its skin is scaleless.
- Reef – a bar of rock, sand, coral or other material lying beneath the water.
- Pectoral Fin – fins situated on either side just behind a fish’s head, helping to control direction of movement.
Fun facts
- The Oyster Toadfish is sometimes called an ugly toad, oyster cracker, oyster catcher or bar dog.
- There are 80 species of toadfish and most are venomous. They have a hollow venomous spine on their first dorsal fin.
- It relies on its camouflage to catch its food. They will jam themselves into rocks and blend in.
- Powerful snapping jaws are used to eat oysters, as well as crabs, fish, and other shell fish.
- They have a loud fog-horn call that can be heard underwater to attract the female.