When a diver swam up to a frogfish, they were amazed by what they saw in its mouth

When a diver swam up to a frogfish, they were amazed by what they saw in its mouth

The fish was locked in a battle for survival with another animal that was almost the same size.


A dive guide in Bali, Indonesia, was stunned when they happened upon an epic battle between a frogfish and its dinner. 

Noé Couta from Neptune Scuba Diving was guiding a Discover Scuba Diving guest (who had not been diving before) at Manta Point in Nusa Penida, Bali. 

As they swam along together, Couta spotted a frogfish trying to eat a coral grouper that was almost the same size as it. 

In the video, the two foes can be seen locked together – the grouper’s head fully inside the frogfish’s mouth – while they tumbled along the reef floor, buffeted by the current. 

See the moment the frogfish takes on that coral grouper. Credit: Noé Couta

“A quote my mom likes to say whenever I can’t finish my food is '眼睛大肚子小', it translates to 'big eyes with a small stomach', says Couta, who shared the footage on Instagram. “I think that quote fits well with this video.”

Because Couta had a new diver in tow, they weren’t able to hang around to see the outcome of the scuffle. They would have loved to find out what happened: “I wish I was there alone because I would for sure stay there the entire dive to see how that story would’ve ended," says Couta.

Image and video credit: Noé Couta (@noecouta_) and Neptune Scuba Diving (@neptunescubadiving)

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