Oyster Toadfish

Opsanus tau

The oyster toadfish has a scaleless, flattened body that is olive-brown on top and pale on the belly. Adults have:

• Dark blotches or bars covering the body.
• Fleshy flaps or "whiskers" on the cheeks and jaws.
• Big, bulging eyes on the top of a large, flat head.
• A broad mouth filled with strong, rounded teeth.

Oyster toadfish usually grow to about 12 inches long.

Where do oyster toadfish live?

The bottom-dwelling oyster toadfish is abundant throughout the Chesapeake Bay year-round. During most of the year they live among wrecks, debris, vegetation, oyster reefs and rocky or muddy bottoms. In winter, oyster toadfish move to the Bay's deep channels.

Watch this video of an oyster toadfish living in a reef:

What do oyster toadfish eat?

Oyster toadfish are carnivorous. They feed mostly on small crabs and other crustaceans, but also eat mollusks and small fishes.

How do oyster toadfish reproduce?

Oyster toadfish spawn from April through October in the Chesapeake Bay's shallows.

• The male toadfish makes a nest in a dark, secluded location, then calls for a female mate with a "boat whistle" sound that only spawning males can make.
• The female toadfish lays sticky eggs on the top side of the nest, then leaves. Oyster toadfish eggs measure about one-fifth of an inch in diameter — the largest eggs of any fish in the Chesapeake Bay.
• The male toadfish protects the eggs and keeps the nest clean by using his fins to fan out debris.
• After about one month, the eggs hatch. The tadpole-like young remain attached to the nest by a yolk.
• Once the yolk is fully absorbed, the male guards the young toadlets for a few more weeks, though they are free to swim in and out of the nest.

Other facts about oyster toadfish:

• An oyster toadfish will quickly take to an angler's bait, but be wary of catching this fish — they have powerful snapping jaws and sharp spines on the dorsal fin.
• In addition to the "boat whistle" sound it makes as a mating call, the oyster toadfish can also make a grunting sound when it is scared or annoyed.
• The hardy oyster toadfish can tolerate litter and polluted water, and can survive out of water for a lengthy period of time.
• While it is edible, the oyster toadfish is rarely eaten because of its grotesque appearance.