Prickly Sculpin

This fish can reach about 30 centimeters in length, but it is usually smaller, often around 4–10 cm in length with a large head and wide fan-like pectoral fins. In California, sculpins reach 20 cm in length. It is mature at 2 to 4 years of age, and its maximum lifespan is around 7 years. The prickly sculpin camouflages with muted tones it is brown, gray, or olive green on its upper parts and white or yellowish ventrally. There are dark spots or bars on the back and dark bars on most of the fins. The breeding male is darker in color than the female and nonbreeding male. Both sexes develop an orange coloration along the edge of the first dorsal fin during breeding. The body of the fish is prickly with spines that can pierce bare skin. Inland-dwelling fish tend to be more prickly compared to those at the coast.

This fish is common in most of its range, becoming quite abundant in the summer when recruitment occurs and the previous season's juveniles join the population. Sculpins reside in cold-water streams. Prickly sculpins can be found in Pacific Northwest streams. While it is native to many waterways in California and found all the way up to Alaska, it represents an introduced species in some Southern California lakes, rivers, and tributaries, such as the Santa Clara River, the Santa Ana River, Irvine Lake, and Big Bear Lake. It occurs in reservoirs such as Pyramid Lake. It was likely introduced to many of these places from farther north via the California Aqueduct.

The fish is said to be edible by humans, at least the larger individuals. It also makes a good bait fish.

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