Sculpin 101 - An Introduction

I think it's time to introduce everyone to a new type of fish. Over the course of many posts I talked about the various species of rockfish that inhabit the coast water of the Pacific Northwest. Sculpins are very distantly related to rockfish so I figured that sculpins were the next logical step in the 101 series.

Cabaezon

Sculpin is the common name given to the fish that belong to the Cottidae family of fishes. The group, comprising over 300 species. Predominantly found in the eastern Pacific but can also be found in the Arctic and north Atlantic oceans; a few have even been discovered in the the southwest Pacific, South American and southern African waters. These fish can also be found living in freshwater, occurring in temperate and arctic waters of North America, Europe and Asia.

Brown Irish Lord

Marine sculpins are found from intertidal waters to depths of several hundred metres; most inhabit relatively shallow waters (100 m or less). Freshwater forms generally live in shallow water. Most sculpins are bottom dwelling but a few are pelagic or live in mid-water habitats.

About 63 species occur in Canadian waters, mostly on the west coast; a few in rivers and lakes throughout the country.

Grunt Sculpin

Sculpins and related families (eg, stonefish, scorpionfish) are characterized by bony like structures that protrude from below their eyes and is typically armoured with spines. Most members with this family are generally small, 5-20 cm, although some species approach 100 cm.

Sculpins are generally scaleless; a few groups have a narrow band of scales down the upper back. Others exhibit platelike structures on the body; still others have extensive patches of small cirri covering the skin, giving them a furry appearance. Spines and other "armour" on head and body make them spectacular fish to photograph.

Scalyhead Sculpin

The colouration and demeanour of most sculpins really lends well to photographing this fish species. Most tend to have bright, vibrant colours covering their bodies and will tend to sit still to have their photo taken.

Longfin Sculpin

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this next 101 series.

Scott

For more stories and images - http://www.scottstevensonphotography.ca/