Grunt Sculpin
Author: Tabitha Baatz
Scientific name: Rhamphocottus richardsonii
Size range:Â up to 8.9 cm (3.5in)
Identifying features: The Grunt Sculpin has spiny pectoral fins, lower rays are not webbed; used for gripping and hopping on the substrate. They have a long snout and there is no definition between the head and body other than the gills. Usually bright colours; tan to orange with brown saddles.
A Grunt Sculpin (Rhamphocottus richardsonii) hanging out with a Crescent Gunnel (Pholis laeta)
Habitat: The Grunt Sculpin is found in temperate coastal waters of the North Pacific; Japan to Alaska and as far south as Santa Monica Bay. It inhabits tidal pools, rocky areas, and sandy bottoms to depths of 165 m. They take shelter in empty giant barnacles, bottles, cans, and nooks in the bottom of reefs. Rather than swimming they will often walk along the bottom using the spiny rays of their pectoral fins.
Food:  Adults eat copepods, amphipods, zooplankton, decapod and barnacle larvae, and crustaceans. The young are too small to eat crustaceans. Grunt sculpins have thick lips and small teeth. In our aquarium they eat frozen krill but not dried fish flakes.
Predators:  The Grunt Sculpin escapes being eaten by hiding in empty Giant Barnacle shells. It sticks its snout out to make it look as if the barnacle is closed but alive. It will also turn around and stick its tail out and wave it back and forth to make it seem as if the barnacle is feeding. Captive Grunt Sculpin will react to fast or looming objects beyond the glass.
Life Cycle: During spawning the female will chase a male into a crevice and keep him there until she lays her eggs. The male will then fertilize them. Spawning time is winter and spring. Both of the parents will take care of the eggs until they hatch-about six months. The eggs are coloured yellow to orange.
Photos by T. Baatz and D. Young
References
Brian. (Editor) 2010. E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Fauna of British Columbia [www.efauna.bc.ca] -search; vertebrates; fishes; grunt sculpin
Hart, J. L. (1988). Pacific fishes of Canada. Ottawa: Canadian Government Publishing Center
January 15, 2001 Grunt sculpin. Retrieved November 21, 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grunt_sculpin
A juvenile Grunt Sculpin
