Leptocottus armatus
Pacific Staghorn Sculpin
NS
G5
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Scorpaeniformes (Lionfish, Stonefish and others)
Cottidae (Sculpins)
Leptocottus
Leptocottus armatus (Pacific Staghorn Sculpin)
Description
This species account was compiled from
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Characters
Body shape: elongated. Distinguished by the large upper preopercular spine ending in 3 or 4 sharp, upturned, curved spinules and by the large, dark spot on the posterior part of the spiny dorsal fin (Ref. 27547). Gill rakers reduced to flat, bony plates, each bearing a cluster of small teeth; lateral line nearly straight; each pore associated with a small subdermal cartilaginous plate (Ref. 27547). Caudal rounded (Ref. 6885). Grayish olive to rather green, occasionally with some yellow, dorsally; orange-yellow to white or silvery below lateral line; spiny dorsal dusky, with a black spot near tips of last 3 spines, a white band below it; soft dorsal fin dusky, with several oblique white to yellowish bands; pectorals yellow with 5 or 6 dark greenish bars; caudal dusky with one or two pale bands; anal and pelvic fins pale (Ref. 27547).
Distribution
Eastern Pacific: Izembek Lagoon, on the southeastern Bering Sea coast of Alaska to Bahia San Quintin, northern Baja California, Mexico.
Habitat Associations
Brackish, marine. demersal. depth range 0-156 m. Found in: estuaries.
Biology
Commonly found near shore, especially in bays and estuaries; most frequently on sandy bottom (Ref. 2850). Intertidal individuals breath air when out of water (Ref. 31184). Can leave tide pools if aquatic conditions become inhospitable (Ref. 31184). Although some individuals may spend their entire life in highly saline waters (Ref. 28693), some newly metamorphosed young move from the estuarine spawning sites to completely fresh water and may remain there for up to 6 weeks (Ref. 27547). Adults apparently tend to remain in the shallow lower estuary, or farther offshore (Ref. 27547). Feeds mostly on crabs, shrimps and amphipods, but also takes larval, juvenile and adult fishes, as well as polychaete worms, mollusks and other invertebrates (Ref. 4930). Expands its gill covers and produces a low-pitched humming sound when stressed (Ref. 6885). Considered a nuisance by anglers (Ref. 27547).
Max length: 46.0 cm TL; common length: 35.5 cm TL; max age: 10 years.
Reproductive mode: dioecism. Oviparous (Ref. 101741).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2012-03-01. Resilience: Medium (tm=1; tmax=10).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: public aquariums.
References
Eschmeyer, W.N., E.S. Herald and H. Hammann (1983) A field guide to Pacific coast fishes of North America. Boston (MA, USA): Houghton Mifflin Company. xii+336 p.
Hart, J.L. (1973) Pacific fishes of Canada. Bull. Fish. Res. Board Can. 180:740 p.
Tasto, R.N. (1975) Aspects of the biology of Pacific staghorn sculpin, Leptocottus armatus Girard, in Anaheim Bay. p. 123-135. In D.E. Lane and C.W. Hill (eds.) The Marine Resources of Anaheim Bay. Fish. Bull. 165.
Armstrong, J.L., D.A. Armstrong and S.B. Mathews (1995) Food habits of estuarine staghorn sculpin, Leptocottus armatus, with focus on consumption of juvenile Dungeness crab, Cancer magister. Fish. Bull. 93:456-470.
Lamb, A. and P. Edgell (1986) Coastal fishes of the Pacific northwest. Madeira Park, (BC, Canada): Harbour Publishing Co. Ltd., 224 p.
Morrow, J.E. (1980) The freshwater fishes of Alaska. University of. B.C. Animal Resources Ecology Library. 248p.
Ambrose, D.A. (1996) Cottidae. Sculpins. p. 821-839. In H.G. Moser (ed.) The early stages of fishes in the California Current region. California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) Atlas No. 33. 1505p.
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