Myoxocephalus | |
---|---|
Myoxocephalus scorpius | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Scorpaeniformes |
Superfamily: | Cottoidea |
Family: | Cottidae |
Subfamily: | Cottinae |
Genus: | Myoxocephalus Tilesius, 1811 |
Type species | |
Myoxocephalus stelleri Tilesius, 1811 | |
Synonyms [1] | |
Myoxocephalus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. They are found in the northern Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, with a few species in lakes.
Myoxocephalus was first proposed as a monospecific genus in 1811 by Tilesius when he described Myoxocephalus stelleri from Kamchatka. [1] [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]
There are currently 14 recognized species in this genus: [5] [6]
In 2020 workers undertook a comparison of the Mitochondrial DNA of the fourhorn sculpin and the belligerent sculpin (Megalcottus platycephalus) and found that the fourhorn sculpin was more closely related to the belligerent sculpin than it was to the other species in the genus Myoxocephalus, they proposed that the fourhorn sculpin be reclassified as a member of the genus Megalocottus. [7]
Myoxocephalus sculpins have a no scales above the lateral line, which lacks bony plates, on the body, which may be naked or have bony plates, scutes or small, sharp spines. The head is large and deep and has a covering of thick skin, there are no bony granulations on the head bit some species have warty knobs or skin flaps. The head has thin sensory canals. The upper spine on the preoperculum is elongated with a wide base and points diagonally upwards. The upper jaw clearly projects beyond the lower and there are vomerine teeth but no palatine teeth. There is always a slit behind d the fourth gill arch but this may be reduced to a pore. The spiny dorsal fin is slight larger or similar in size to the soft-rayed dorsal fin and they are connected. In males the pelvic fins typically bo not extend as far as the anus. The soft rays of the dorsal, anal and pectoral fins are simple. [8] These sculpins are relatively large, the largest species is the great sculpin with a maximum published total length of 80 cm (31 in) while the smallest is the grubby with a maximum published total length of 18 cm (7.1 in). [5]
Myoxocephalus sculpins are found in the northern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and the Arctic Ocean. [5] There are cases where they have become landlocked in lakes. [9] They are fishes of the coast and continental shelf and many species can tolerate low salinities and they are found over sand, mud or rocks. [8]
Myoxocephalus Sculpins are predators on fishes and benthic invertebrates. They spawn in winter and spring, laying demersal eggs which the males guard. [8]
The Cottidae are a family of fish in the superfamily Cottoidea, the sculpins. It is the largest sculpin family, with about 275 species in 70 genera. They are referred to simply as cottids to avoid confusion with sculpins of other families.
The fish family Psychrolutidae contains over 35 recognized species in 8 genera. This family consists of bottom-dwelling marine sculpins shaped like tadpoles, with large heads and bodies that taper back into small, flat tails. The skin is loosely attached and movable, and the layer underneath it is gelatinous. The eyes are placed high on the head, focused forward closer to the tip of the snout. Members of the family generally have large, leaf-like pectoral fins and lack scales, although some species are covered with soft spines. This is important to the species as the depths in which they live are highly pressurized and they are ambush/opportunistic/foraging predators that do not expend energy unless they are forced to.
The deepwater sculpin is a species of freshwater fish in the family Cottidae of order Scorpaeniformes. It is a glacial relict, native to a limited number of deep, cold lakes in Canada and the United States.
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.
The fourhorn sculpin is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This species has a Holarctic distribution and can be found in marine, brackish and fresh waters.
The long-spined bullhead, also known as the long-spined sea-scorpion, and the long-spined scorpion fish is a coastal fish of the sculpin family Cottidae, inhabiting marine waters of Europe.
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.
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.
Hemilepidotus, the Irish lords, is a genus of ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Agonidae, the poachers and sea ravens. These fishes are found in northern Pacific, northern Atlantic and the Arctic Oceans.
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.
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.
The hairhead sculpin is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Trichocottus.
Triglops is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. These fishes are found in the North Pacific, Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans.
The longhorn sculpin is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins.This species is found in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. It is a predatory and scavenging fish that can feed on the remains of other organisms.
Myoxocephalus aenaeus, commonly known as the grubby, or little sculpin, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This species is found in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean.
Myoxocephalus jaok, the plain sculpin, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This species is found in the northern Pacific Ocean and adjacent Arctic Ocean.
Myoxocephalus scorpioides, the Arctic sculpin or northern sculpin, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This fish is found in the Arctic Ocean.
Steller's sculpin, also known as frog sculpin, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This species is found in the northern Pacific, from the Aleutian Islands to the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan. Described by Wilhelm Gottlieb Tilesius von Tilenau in 1811, it is the type species of the genus Myoxocephalus.
Cottinae is a subfamily of ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. The subfamily has species throughout the northern hemisphere in both marine and freshwater habitats.