| Microcottus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Microcottus sellaris | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Scorpaeniformes |
| Family: | Cottidae |
| Subfamily: | Cottinae |
| Genus: | Microcottus P. J. Schmidt, 1940 |
| Type species | |
| Acanthocottus sellaris | |
Microcottus is a small genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. These fishes are found in the northern Pacific Ocean.
Microcottus was first proposed as a genus in 1940 by the Soviet zoologist Peter Schmidt with Acanthocottus sellaris as its type species by monotypy. [1] A. sellaris has originally been described by Charles Henry Gilbert from Bristol Bay in Alaska. [2] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies this genus in the subfamily Cottinae of the family Cottidae [3] but other authorities classify it in the subfamily Myoxocephalinae of the family Psychrolutidae, [1] although others place the subfamily Myoxocephalinae within the Cottidae. [4]
Microcottus prefixes Cottus , the type genus of the family Cottidae, with micro, meaning "small", alluding to the small size of M. sellaris in comparison to the related genus Myoxocephalus . [5]
Microcottus is a small genus which contains 2 species: [6]
Microcottus sculpins are characterised by their pelvic fins having a wide connection to the belly by an inner membrane. They have prevomerine teeth but none on the palatine, The pores on the lateral line have two openings, On the preoperculum the top spine is recurved and the pelvic fins have a single spine and three soft rays. [7] These are small sculpins, Microcottus sellaris has a maximum published total length of 13 cm (5.1 in) and M. matuaensis has a maximum published standard length of 8.1 cm (3.2 in). [6]
Microcottus sculpins are found in the North Pacific. M. sellaris is distributed from off the Sea of Okhotsk coast of Hokkaido to the northern Sea of Japan into the Bering Sea. [8] M. matuensis has so far proved to be endemic to the Kuril Islands. [9] These fishes are found in the intertidal and subtidal zones and may be found in rivers as the larvae and fry are swept into them by the tide. [8]
The scaled sculpins, Icelus, are a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. Most of the fishes in this genus are found in the northern Pacific Ocean but they also occur in the North Atlantic Ocean.
The snubnose sculpin is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This fish is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Clinocottus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. They are nearshore benthic fishes native to the northeastern Pacific Ocean. They are mentioned as sharpnose sculpins.
The Andriyashev largeheaded sculpin is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This species is found in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. This monospecific genus, and therefore this species, are known from a single specimen, the holotype. This was collected from off Simushir Island in the Kuril Islands at a depth of 100 metres (330 ft). That specimen had a total length of 23.6 cm (9.3 in) long. FishBase classifies this taxon within the Cottidae but other authorities classify it within the subfamily Psychrolutinae of the family Psychrolutidae. The genus name Andriashevicottus includes a patronym, the person honoured was not identified by the describer Fedorov, however, it is almost certainly the Soviet ichthyologist Anatoly Petrovich Andriashev, the patronym is suffixed with Cottus, the type genus of the family Cottidae. The specific name megacephalus means "big head".
Argyrocottus is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. Its only species is Argyrocottus zanderi which is found in the northwestern Pacific Ocean from Japan to the Kuril Islands and in the Sea of Japan. It is found at depths of from 0 to 85 metres. This species grows to a standard length of 9 centimetres (3.5 in). This taxon was first formally described in 1892 by the Russian zoologist Solomon Herzenstein with its type locality given as Korsakov on Sakhalin in the Sea of Okhotsk. The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies the genus Argyrocottus within the subfamily Cottinae of the family Cottidae, however, other authors classify the genus within the subfamily Myoxocephalinae of the family Psychrolutidae. although others place the subfamily Myoxocephalinae within the Cottidae.
Artediellus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. Most of the fishes in this genus are found in the northern Pacific Ocean but they also occur in the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans.
Artedius is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. These fishes are found in the northern Pacific Ocean.
Bero elegans is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This species is found in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. This species grows to a length of 20 centimetres (7.9 in) TL. It is the only known member of the genus Bero.
The roughback sculpin is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This species is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The roughback sculpin is the only known member of the genus Chitonotus.
Enophrys is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. These fishes are found in the northern and eastern Pacific Ocean.
Icelinusis a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. These fishes are found in the northern and eastern Pacific Ocean.
The belligerent sculpin, or flathead sculpin, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This species occurs in the northern Pacific Ocean.
Megalocottus is a small genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. These fishes are found in the western Pacific Ocean.
Oligocottus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. These sculpins are found in the northern and eastern Pacific Ocean.
The spineless sculpin is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This species is found in the Pacific Ocean where it is endemic to the waters around the Aleutian Islands, Alaska.
Phasmatocottus is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the "typical" sculpins. The only species in the genus is Phasmatocottus ctenopterygius from the northwestern Pacific.
Porocottus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. These fishes are found in the northern and northwestern Pacific Ocean.
The rosy sculpin is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. It inhabits the coastal northeastern Pacific Ocean, ranging from California (US) to Baja California.
Jordaniidae is a small family of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the order Scorpaeniformes. These fishes are found in the eastern North Pacific Ocean.
Clinocottus embryum, the calico sculpin or mossy sculpin, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. It is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean.