Stone sculpin

The stone sculpin (Paracottus knerii) is a species of cottoid fish endemic to Russia, where it is found in Lake Baikal and surrounding tributaries as well as the Gramninskie Lakes, Lake Verkhnaya Agata and the Enisei River and various lakes in Tuva. This species is the only recognized member of its genus.[1]

Stone sculpin
Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Scorpaeniformes
Family:
Cottocomephoridae
Genus:
Paracottus

Taliev, 1949
Species:
P. knerii
Binomial name
Paracottus knerii
(Dybowski, 1874)

It is often eaten by the Baikal seal, especially in the autumn.[2]

Appearance

Maximum total length of the stone sculpin is 14.4 cm (5.7 in),[1] but most are 7–9 cm (2.8–3.5 in).[3] Its colour varies from olive to brown or grey, and it has several dark spots and bands.[3]

Habitat

The stone sculpin is most common in the southern part of Lake Baikal and prefers areas with a stony bottom,[3] but may also occur over sand.[1] It is typically found from shallow water to a depth of 50 m (160 ft), but can occur to 100 m (330 ft).[3]

Behavior

The stone sculpin breeds in the late spring and summer in water that is 6–10 °C (43–50 °F),[3] and up to 1.5 m (5 ft) deep.[1] The female lays 200–700 eggs in a crevice under a stone, which are guarded by the male and hatch after about one month.[1][3] This sculpin feeds on small animals such as copepods and amphipods.[3]

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References
  1. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2017). "Paracottus knerii" in FishBase. May 2017 version.
  2. "Baikal seal". baikal.ru. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  3. "Каменная широколобка [Paracottus knerii]" (in Russian). zooex.baikal.ru. Retrieved 31 May 2017.


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