Whitetail sculpin
📖 Overview
Whitetail sculpin (Malacocottus aleuticus), first described by Smith, 1904 is a small fish in the family Psychrolutidae (order Perciformes). Adults typically reach 9.80 cm in maximum length. It inhabits marine coastal and open-ocean environments. Recorded depth range: 300 to 1000 metres. It occurs in Deep-water waters. It feeds on a mix of small fish and invertebrates as a mid-level predator.
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 7 - 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13 - 15; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 10 - 13; Vertebrae: 31 - 32. Body minutely speckled with black; broad black bands from soft dorsal fin to anal fin and behind pectoral axil; caudal peduncle and fin white . Pelvic fins very small; caudal fin rounded .
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Whitetail sculpin is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 300 - 1000 m , usually 300 - 600 m . Deep-water North Pacific: off southeastern Kamchatka and Sea of Okhotsk off southwest coast of Kamchatka, eastern Sakhalin Island, and Hokkaido, Japan.
🌿 Ecology
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🔍 Similar Species
👥 Community & Contribute
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