Sculpins — Cottidae

Sculpins are a large family of benthic fish that occur in both freshwater and marine habitats. They are a stout fish with large mouths and bones in their head which have been modified into spines. Their first dorsal fin is spiny, while the second is soft rayed. There is a single anal fin and the pectoral fins are large and fan-like. The sculpin's body is armoured with plate-like scales. Because they lack a swim bladder, these fish are well suited for life on the bottom where they eat benthic crustaceans, molluscs, marine worms, and other small fish. They are slow moving and sluggish, as a result of low water temperatures. When disturbed, these fish use their large pectoral fins to move slowly and for short distances. This family is the most diverse group of marine fishes in Arctic Canada, although they have no economic importance.

Twelve species of sculpins occur in the oceans of the Arctic:

Atlantic hookear (Artediellus atlanticus)
arctic hookear (Artediellus uncinatus)
arctic sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpioides)
arctic staghorn sculpin (Gymnocanthus tricuspis)
bigeye sculpin, Nybelin's sculpin (Triglops nybelini)
fourhorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus quadricornis)
moustache sculpin (Triglops murrayi)
twohorn sculpin (Icelus bicornis)
ribbed sculpin (Triglops pingeli)
rough hookear (Artediellus scaber)
shorthorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius)
spatulate sculpin (Icelus spatula)