Welcome back everyone to Sculpin Sunday. This week is a little bit different. This week I'm presenting to you a denizen of the shallows but from fresh water rather than the saltiness of the sea.
Yes, that right. There are species of sculpins that inhabit the lake and rivers of North America, some species this one included can and will live in brackish waters (slightly salty, as is the mixture of river water and seawater in estuaries).
The Coastrange Sculpin, Cottus aleuticus is a small sculpin, usually measuring 5-10 cm long. I has a mottled appearance and varies in colour from brown to light bluish-grey. The underside is lighter than the back and sides, there is a large white spot in front of its tail fin, and it usually has two or three dark saddle patches on its back. It also has dark bars on most its fins; these bars are usually more obvious on larger individuals.
This fish can inhabit sandy and muddy-bottomed lakes as well as rocky lake shores, but has also been found in fast-flowing gravel-bottomed streams and rivers; and estuaries with fresh and brackish water. It is found in water systems that drain into the Pacific, from Bristol Bay, Alaska to southern California, including Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii, and other smaller islands in that range.
These images were captured in Elk Lake on Vancouver Island. The lake is quite shallow and has very pour visibility make finding and getting images of this fish quite difficult. As with most sculpins these fish tend to be inquisitive which helps getting images.
Thanks for reading and have a great day.
Scott
For more images and stories - http://www.scottstevensonphotography.ca/