Saturday December 19, 2009
Sculpin have ability to blend in with their surroundings, which is useful to elude predators and ambush prey. This prickly sculpin Cottus asper was recently photographed while evaluating winter fish habitat preferences.
Prickly sculpin are native to pacific coast watersheds from Alaska to California. They occur in lower elevation freshwater habitats and feed on benthic invertebrates and small fish.
Perhaps most interestingly, prickly sculpins have their own Facebook page!
Photo source: FISHBIO