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Cottidae

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Cottidae
Bullhead, Cottus gobio in Lake Constance
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Suborder: Cottoidei
Superfamily: Cottoidea
Family: Cottidae
Bonaparte, 1832
Genera

See Text

The Cottidae is a family of demersal fish in the order Scorpaeniformes, suborder Cottoidei (or sculpins). There are about 300 species in 70 genera of Cottidae (cottids) that are mostly marine and found in shallow coastal waters in the northern and arctic regions.[1] The highest diversity is in the North Pacific.

There are also some freshwater representatives in the family, particularly in the holarctic genus Cottus, including the spoonhead sculpin (Cottus ricei) of North America and the alpine bullhead (Cottus poecilopus) and bullhead (Cottus gobio) of Europe. The deepwater sculpin and fourhorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus quadricornis) inhabit deep cold lakes of North America and Northern Europe, respectively. The latter is also found in brackish water the Baltic and Arctic seas.

Most cottids are small fish, under 10 centimetres (3.9 in) in length, although some, such as the cabezon, are much larger, up to 72 centimetres (28 in) in length.[1]

Genera

Arctic hookear sculpin, Artediellus uncinatus
Longhorn sculpin, Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus
Ribbed sculpin, Triglops pingelii

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Eschmeyer, William N. (1998). In Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 178–179. ISBN 0-12-547665-5 [Amazon-US | Amazon-UK].