Sailfin sculpin (Nautichthys oculofasciatus)

Scientific name: Nautichthys oculofasciatus Girard, 1858

Sailfin sculpin (Nautichthys oculofasciatus)

The Sailfin sculpin (Nautichthys oculofasciatus) is a marine fish of the family Hemitripteridae. Native range: Eastern Pacific, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska to San Miguel Island, southern California, USA. Possibly occurring in Japan.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 8 - 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 27-30; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 18 - 20. Caudal fin rounded, directed upward. Color variable, gray above with dark markings and obscure dusky bands, paler below; spinous dorsal darker; other fins except pelvic fins diagonally streaked darker; sometimes red flecks on rayed dorsal and on eyes; a very distinct black band running diagonally down and back through eye. A recognizable variant occurs in Knight Inlet, British Columbia - the first caudal fin is dominated by the II, III, I rather than the first four spines and the whole fin is frail and when removed from fluid appears more like a mast than a sail.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Nautichthys oculofasciatus
Family
Hemitripteridae (Sea ravens or sailfin sculpins)
Order
Scorpaeniformes (Scorpionfishes and Flatheads)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
20.0
Depth range
110 m (361 ft)
Environment
Marine; demersal; depth range ? - 110 m
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
Eastern Pacific: St. Lawrence Island, Alaska to San Miguel Island, southern California, USA. Possibly occurring in Japan.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Aquarium: public aquariums
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=1)

More other marine fish

See all other marine fish

Sources

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

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