Family Cottidae (including Psychrolutidae)

Common names:  sculpins.  The classification of this group of fishes is somewhat disputed and the blob sculpins (Psychrolutids) are sometimes grouped with this family.  It is place here with the cottids more for convenience than for scientific reasons.

Distribution:  Cottids are a large family of benthic fishes which are mostly found in coastal environments in the northern hemisphere.  A few species are found to about 500 meters or so.  Psychrolutids are found from about 100 to 2800 meters. 

General description and features:  The sculpins are large-headed fish often with head spines or cirri.  They have large pectoral fins and lack spines in the anal fin. 

Feeding:  Diet within the cottidae is extremely diverse but many are sit and wait predators that feed on large fish or crustaceans.

Reproduction and life history:  Many sculpins exhibit parental care of the eggs.  Males build nests and attract females which lay eggs there.  The eggs are then usually guarded by the male although females can aid in nest defense or defend the nests by themselves in some species.  In other species no parental care is evident.  

These images show Psychrolutes phrictus (the blob sculpin) attending nests of eggs at a site on the Gorda Escarpment, California (1550 meters depth).  In the top left a single fish lays next to its egg mass which unlike the surrounding stones is not sediment covered.  In the top right a nest of eggs has been layed on a near vertical wall and in the bottom image two nests and three fish are all in close proximity.  Nesting territories are either small or nonexistent.  Very little of the biology of these fishes is known.  They appear to be sedentary sit and wait predators.  Psychrolutes phrictus from the North Pacific can reach lengths of 60 cm.  This species is the focus of some of my current research.  Go to my research page to read more about it.