Chicago Aquarium Just Pulled Off Something Rare — A Warty Frogfish Raised From Egg in Historic First
Shedd Aquarium in Chicago has completed an amazing feat. For the first time in their history, they have raised a warty frogfish baby, according to PEOPLE. Experts associated with the facility believe this is the first known instance of warty frogfish (Antennarius maculatus) being raised from an egg to fish in a controlled aquarium setting. This milestone is a major step forward in the overall endeavor of humans caring for marine species. "This little fish is truly one in a million," senior aquarist Jenny Richards said. "Warty frogfish have such a fascinating appearance and unique way of life, and we've been so thrilled to see this little frogfish develop day by day," she added.
The egg mass from which the fish hatched was first detected back in September 2025. It was floating where two adult warty frogfish were living in the aquarium's Wild Reef exhibit. After confirming that the floating object was indeed an egg mass, aquarium caretakers decided to move it to a specially created habitat. Here, the egg hatched into thousands of larvae. This wasn't surprising, as these creatures are known to hatch thousands of larvae, because the survival rate of their young ones is low. For five months, experts monitored the diet, flow rates, lighting, and water temperature of this special habitat to help the developing fish grow efficiently. So far, it is thriving in the human-made environment.
The growing fish is currently enjoying a diet of brine shrimp curated by the aquarium's officials. "Our success in rearing this fish is a testament to the expertise, adaptability, and passion of the team at Shedd in caring for all aquatic animals, from large arapaima to a tiny warty frogfish larva," added Richards. Elise Mulligan, public relations coordinator, shared with PEOPLE that the tiny fish has been named 'Domino' by the caretakers. Senior aquarist Kayla Melton Rogala added that the growing fish is slowly beginning to behave like its adult counterparts. Some of its adult behaviors displayed by it include walking along the seafloor with the help of modified fins to ambush its prey. Rogala calls these actions "adorable."
Officials are hopeful that Domino's survival inspires more people to look after similar creatures. "Shedd is proud to be the first aquarium to successfully rear this species," said Mulligan. "We hope this curious-looking fish inspires more people to discover the wonders of our blue planet and help protect it!" she added. Guests can see the tiny fish's parents on display at Shedd; however, the baby will remain behind closed doors for a while. The team is hoping that insights from Domino's growth will help them in future conservation and breeding pursuits.
At present, the warty frogfish baby looks just like a pea. The fact that the creature can be sustained in controlled aquarium settings is huge, as more and more such marine species are being threatened by climate change in their native habitat. If species like frogfish manage to survive in managed care, then that would encourage humans to shift more specimens from the vulnerable wildlife population. Warty frogfish mostly live in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. Their bodies are enveloped in wart-like projections. They have the ability to change colors from yellow and orange to red and brown. This allows them to camouflage and lure in prey.
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