Antennarius indicus was first formally described in 1964 by the American ichthyologist Leonard Peter Schultz with its type locality given as Vizagapatam in India.

[3] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the genus Antennarius in the family Antennariidae within the suborder Antennarioidei within the order Lophiiformes, the anglerfishes.

[5] Antennarius indicus has an illicium which is roughly equal in length to the second dorsal spine and which has an esca, or lure, which is made up of leaf like appendages.

[7] Antennarius indicus is found in the western Indian Ocean from the Gulf of Aden south to northern Mozambique east tp southeastern India and Sri Lanka, including the Seychelles and Lakshadweep.

The Indian frogfish between 0 and 30 m (0 and 98 ft) in sandy and muddy habitats close to coral reefs and algal beds.