Darkfin sculpin (Malacocottus zonurus)

Scientific name: Malacocottus zonurus Bean, 1890

The Darkfin sculpin (Malacocottus zonurus) is a marine fish of the family Psychrolutidae. Native range: North Pacific, northern Japan, Sea of Okhotsk and Cape Navarin in the western Bering Sea to Agattu Island in the Aleutian chain and Washington, USA.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14-15; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 10 - 11

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Malacocottus zonurus
Family: Psychrolutidae (Fatheads)
Order: Scorpaeniformes (Scorpionfishes and Flatheads)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 35.0
Depth range: 27–1980 m (89–6496 ft)
Environment: Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 27 - 1980 m
Climate: Deep-water
Distribution: North Pacific: northern Japan, Sea of Okhotsk and Cape Navarin in the western Bering Sea to Agattu Island in the Aleutian chain and Washington, USA.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (tmax=12)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026