Sea toad
A deep-sea anglerfish in the family Chaunacidae, with a rounded body, loose skin, and a short lure used to attract prey.
Anglerfish: Fishes that attract prey with a modified fin ray, often called a lure. Sea toads belong to the broader group of fishes defined by a lure-bearing dorsal fin.
Luring (predation): A hunting strategy in which an animal attracts prey using a bait-like signal or structure. Sea toads use their short illicium and esca to draw prey within striking distance.
Frogfish: Shallow- and deep-water anglerfishes in the family Antennariidae, many of which walk along the seafloor. Frogfishes share the lure-bearing body plan but belong to a different anglerfish family.
Deep-sea trawling: The use of nets dragged along or near the deep seafloor to collect marine organisms. Trawl specimens have helped scientists describe and study sea toad species.
Deep-sea ecology: The study of organisms and interactions in ocean habitats below the sunlit zone. Sea toads' feeding and ecological roles remain difficult to observe in their natural habitat.
Chaunacidae: A family of deep-sea anglerfishes known for rounded bodies and loose, often prickly skin. This family is the taxonomic group that contains sea toads.
Suction feeding: Feeding by rapidly expanding the mouth and drawing prey in with water. Like other anglerfishes, sea toads can engulf nearby prey with a fast suction strike.
Monkfish: Anglerfishes of the family Lophiidae, commonly found on the seabed and used as food. Monkfish are another bottom-dwelling anglerfish lineage, distinct from Chaunacidae.
Taxonomy (biology): The science of naming, describing, and classifying organisms. Sea toad diversity is recognized through formal descriptions and taxonomic comparisons.
Marine species discovery: The process of finding, describing, and confirming previously unknown marine species. Undersampled deep-sea habitats may contain unrecognized chaunacid diversity.