Thorny sculpin (Icelus spiniger)

Scientific name: Icelus spiniger Gilbert, 1896

Thorny sculpin (Icelus spiniger)

The Thorny sculpin (Icelus spiniger) is a marine fish of the family Cottidae. Native range: North Pacific, eastern Sea of Okhotsk to Cape Navarin in the Bering Sea to Agattu Island in the Aleutian chain and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 8 - 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 20-21; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 15 - 17. Caudal fin rounded; pectoral fins rounded, reaching anus, lower rays exserted. Color brownish on upper surface, paler below; four dark saddles across back; dark bands on dorsal, caudal, and pectoral fins, the other fins are plain.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Icelus spiniger
Family
Cottidae (Sculpins)
Order
Scorpaeniformes (Scorpionfishes and Flatheads)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
24.0
Depth range
25–770 m (82–2526 ft)
Environment
Marine; demersal; depth range 25 - 770 m
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
North Pacific: eastern Sea of Okhotsk to Cape Navarin in the Bering Sea to Agattu Island in the Aleutian chain and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries:
Resilience
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

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

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