| Oligocottus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Tidepool sculpin (O. maculosus) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Scorpaeniformes |
| Superfamily: | Cottoidea |
| Family: | Cottidae |
| Subfamily: | Cottinae |
| Genus: | Oligocottus Girard, 1856 |
| Type species | |
| Oligocottus maculosus Girard, 1856 [1] | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
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.
Oligocottus was first proposed as a monospecific genus in 1856 by the French biologist Charles Frédéric Girard [1] when he described Oligocottus maculosus from Tomales Bay, San Francisco, California. [2] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies this genus within the subfamily Cottinae of the family Cottidae, [3] however, other authors classify the genus within the subfamily Oligocottinae of the family Psychrolutidae. [1] The genus has been found to be a monophyletic grouping with the saddleback sculpin as the more basal of the four species with the other three species creating a polytomy. [4]
Oligocottus prefixes oligos, meaning "small", with Cottus, the type species of the family Cottidae. This is an allusion to the small size of O. maculosus. [5]
There are four species listed in this genus: [6]
Oligocottus sculpins are characterised within the sculpins by having the anus located immediately to the front of the origin of the anal fin, the intromittent organ of the males is shaped like a long, thin cone and the front rays of the males' anal fins are modified. [4] These sculpins are small fishes, with the largest being the rosy sculpin with a maximum published total length of 10 cm (3.9 in). [6]
Oligocottus sculpins are found in the North Pacific, they are found off the along the Pacific coasts of North America from Alaska to Baja California. The tidepool sculpin has been reported from the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea but records west of the Gulf of Alaska are considered doubtful. They are found in the intertidal and subtidal zones and have the ability to breathe air. [6]
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 Pacific staghorn sculpin is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This species is found eastern Pacific Ocean. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Lepidocottus.
Clinocottus globiceps, the mosshead sculpin or globe-headed sculpin, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This sculpin is found in the northeastern Pacific.
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.
Clinocottus acuticeps, the sharpnose sculpin, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This sculpin is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
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".
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 lavender 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.
Ocynectes is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This species is found in tidepools in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
Blepsias cirrhosus, the silverspotted sculpin, is a species of sculpin belonging to the subfamily Hemitripterinae of the family Agonidae. This species is found the northern Pacific Ocean from the Sea of Japan and Alaska to San Miguel Island off southern California.
The woolly 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, where it occurs along the coastline of California and Baja California.
The tidepool sculpin is a fish species in the sculpin family Cottidae that ranges from the Bering Sea to southern California. Individuals reach up to 8 cm (3 in) in length and are common in tidepools.
The saddleback sculpin is a species of fish in the sculpin family Cottidae. It is known to inhabit the North American shore of the Pacific Ocean. It is a very understudied fish with limited knowledge of behavioral patterns, lifecycle and reproduction.
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.
The bald 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.
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.