Spatulate Sculpin

A moderately abundant and widespread arctic sculpin

Feed mainly on large benthic prey including shrimp (e.g., Pandalus, Spirontocaris), amphipods, polychaetes; occasionally small molluscs

Little known; Spawn in late August-September (in Bering Sea); Females <11 cm produce 110-1,000 eggs, large females about 1,100-1,300 eggs

Arctic-subarctic; Benthic, at depths of 12-859 m (39-2,818 ft), typically < 365 m (1,197 ft) in the Arctic; On mud and sand to pebble substrate

One row of large, spiny scales beneath the dorsal fins; Spiny, tubular lateral line scales; One or two pairs of bony protuberances on top of head; Caudal peduncle scales absent; Lateral line scales extending to posterior edge of hypural plate (none on caudal fin rays); Genital papilla of males with a spatulate (dorsoventrally flattened) terminal appendage

Young with 2 dark blotches on body, which break up into small dark brown spots in adults; spinous dorsal fin with 1-2 round dark patches, soft part with a few comparatively broad dark stripes; upper part of pectoral fin with transverse stripes; anal and pelvic fins colorless; caudal fin with irregular spots (Ref. 4698).

Dorsal spines (total): 8 - 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 18 - 22; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 13 - 18

Found on sand or sandy-mud bottoms with stones with salinities of 24.7-34.2 ppt (Ref. 4698). Benthic (Ref. 58426). Feeds mainly large bottom invertebrates; such as shrimp, amphipods and polychaete worms(Ref. 5951), rarely small mollusks (Ref. 4698).

Found on sand or sandy-mud bottoms with stones with salinities of 24.7-34.2 ppt (Ref. 4698). Benthic (Ref. 58426). Feeds mainly large bottom invertebrates, rarely small mollusks (Ref. 4698).

Feeds mainly large bottom invertebrates, rarely small mollusks

Canadian Arctic it ranges southward into eastern Hudson Bay, along the Labrador coast, through Strait of Belle Isle

Found on sand or sandy-mud bottoms with stones with salinities of 24.7-34.2 ppt.

benthic