Welcome to deepseawonders. net, today we’re diving into the secrets of the bob sculpin, scientifically known as Psychrolutes phrictus belonging to the family Psychrolutidae including the blobfish,toadfish, and other species of blob sculpin.
Who Discovered The Bob Sculpin:
The Blob sculpin, also known as the flathead sculpin, was discovered by Stein & C. E. Bond in 1978.
Habitat:
This fish is distributed through the North Pacific Ocean by the coasts of Japan, the Bering Sea, and California. The depth range starts from 500 meters below the surface to up to 2800 meters in total darkness.
Description And Size:
This fish has a maximum length of 70 cm. It has a flattened head with large eyes with much space between them. The mouth is curved. Behind the head, the body tapers rapidly. There is a gelatinous layer between the skin and the muscle. It has eight spines on the dorsal fin and nineteen to twenty soft rays. The pectoral fins are broad and have fleshy pads near their tips. They have 8 spines. They have grey color.
Diet:
The main diet of this fish is invertebrates such as sea pens, crustaceans, and gastropod mollusks. They also eat cephalopods, crinoids, and sea cucumbers.
Behavior And LifeSpan:
This fish is spotted at great depths between 1,300 and 3,000 m on the coast of California. This fish is a great example of parents caring for the eggs during the spawning season. They are spotted swimming to close to the seabed. The bob sculpin is the host of skin parasites such as copepods Chondracanthus yanezi and Neobrachiella amphipacifica. Due to its remote habitat, this fish can live to up to 100 years.
Reproduction Of The Bob Sculpin:
The spawning occurs on rocks with adhesive eggs in the deep sea with much large pink eggs in nests. The male, the watching partner cleans the eggs of sediments while keeping eye on the eggs. Octopus of the genus Graneledone can also brood the eggs Within 5 meters range. Up to 84 sculpins and 64 nests were observed in one spot, called the “reproductive hot spot”.
Relatives Of The Bob Sculpin:
They are close relative to the snailfish, aligatorfish.
Conservation Status Of The Bob Sculpin:
it is important to note that various sculpin species face conservation concerns. For example, the Checkered Sculpin (Cottus n. sp.) is considered critically imperiled in Pennsylvania and globally rare due to its restricted range and habitat requirements. Additionally, the Grotto Sculpin (Cottus specus) is listed as an endangered species.
Cool Facts About Blob Sculpin:
-They have much resemblance to the blobfish(identical).
-They have no swim bladder as they will pop off like a balloon if they do.
-They rely on their gelatinous body to survive in deep-sea environment.
-The largest member of the family is Psychrolutes phrictus.
What A creature this is, the fish is designed to live in the deeper ocean spots on earth. At DeepSeaWonders.net, we have delved into the depths of the ocean and this bob sculpin is no exception to the mysteries.
