Longhorn sculpin
{{Short description|Species of fish}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Longhorn sculpin.jpg
| taxon = Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus
| authority = (Mitchill, 1814){{cite web |url=https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=167320 |title=Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus (Mitchill, 1814) |website=ITIS |access-date=28 April 2014}}
| synonyms = * Cottus octodecemspinosus Mitchill, 1814
}}
The longhorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus) is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins.This species is found in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean.{{FishBase|Myoxocephalus|octodecemspinosus|year=2014}}{{cite web |url=https://www.gbif.org/species/2333802# |title=Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus (Mitchill, 1814) |website=GBIF.ORG |access-date=April 28, 2014 }} It is a predatory and scavenging fish that can feed on the remains of other organisms.{{cite journal |last=Link |first=Jason S. |last2=Almelda |first2=Frank P. |date=18 September 2001 |title=Opportunistic feeding of longhorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus): Are scallop fishery discards an important food subsidy for scavengers on Georges Bank? |url=http://fishbull.noaa.gov/1002/18linkfi.pdf |journal=Fishery Bulletin |publisher=NOAA |volume=100 |issue=2 |pages=381–385 |access-date=28 April 2014}}
Taxonomy
The longhorn sculpin was first formally described as Cottus 18-spinosus in 1814 by the American physician and naturalist Samuel L. Mitchill with its type locality given as New York. The ICZN required that the specific name be changed to octodecemspinosus.{{Cof genus|genus=Myoxocephalus|access-date=9 February 2023}} The specific name, octodecemspinosus, means "18 spined", an allusion to the number of spines on the head (which is actually 20).{{cite web | url = https://etyfish.org/perciformes20/ | title = Order Perciformes: Suborder Cottoidea: Infraorder Cottales: Family Cottidae (Sculpins) | work = The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database | editor1= Christopher Scharpf | editor2 = Kenneth J. Lazara | name-list-style = amp |date = 22 October 2022 | access-date = 9 February 2023 | publisher = Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara}}
Appearance
The longhorn sculpin varies in color with its surroundings. It has four tinted bands on the back of its body, which range from dark brown to tinted yellow and dark olive in color. When the fish is resting on sand or dirt, it is plain in color, but when resting on pebbles, it is variably marked in order to blend in with its surroundings in both scenarios. The dorsal spines and head spines on the fish are very sharp, and one must be careful if they are to handle it. It has two variably marked dorsal fins, along with two pectorals and an anal fin.Warfel and Merriman (Copeia, 1944, p. 198)Cox, Contrib. Canadian Biol. (1918-1920) 1921, p. 111; Leim, Proc. Nova Scotian Inst. Sci., vol. 20, 1940, p. 40.
Occurrence
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://eol.org/pages/204298/overview Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus (Longhorn Sculpin)] at the [http://eol.org/ Encyclopedia of Life]
{{Taxonbar|from=Q2073666}}
Category:Fish of the Atlantic Ocean