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Prickly Sculpin, Cottus asper
		Photo of a prickly sculpin, approximately 10 cm (4”) long. Location: Suisun Marsh, California. Date: 8/6/2007.
		Appearance and Identification: · Maximum size in California is about 20 cm SL · Long anal fin (3 X longer than caudal peduncle) long dorsal fins connected at base · Palatine teeth usually visible, single chin pore (sometimes 2), 2-3 pre-opercular spines, 28-43 lat line pores · Mottles reddish brown to dark brown coloring, 4-5 dark saddles, white to yellow underside, · Fins often barred, 1^st dorsal fin may have dark spot in posterior/tail side. · Males have long v-shaped genital papilla · During breeding both sexes have dark coloring and orange leading edge on 1^st dorsal fin · Fin Rays/Spines: anal 16-19 rays, 1^st dorsal 7-10 soft spines, 2^nd dorsal 19-23 rays
Life History:
		The Prickly Sculpin is adaptable to environments ranging from fresh to saltwater, and from small cool stream to large warm rivers and lakes. The Prickly Sculpin has a variety of forms as some are coastal, others live in the valley, and some are limited to Clear Lake proper. The coastal forms rarely live in a stream without an estuary and rarely go farther than 50 km upstream though they have been found present over 120 km upstream before, often sharing habitat with the Coastrange Sculpin. In the Central Valley of California these fish inhabit low elevation waters. The limitation to the spread of these fish seems to be water quality, as the Prickly Sculpin is not found in highly polluted waters. In stream the se fish us a variety of habitats though good cover or overhanging vegetation is a common thread. The Prickly Sculpin spend most of the day sedentarily hiding and they then become active in feeding and movement at night. When the Prickly Sculpin reach sexual maturity after 2, 3, or 4 years they move to a suitable place in freshwater to spawn and hide the eggs under loose rock substrate. Most spawning occurs between February and June. The male will guard the fertilized eggs until they hatch. When the larvae emerge they are quickly washed downstream to an estuary or deep slow pool. In lakes and in estuaries the larvae become pelagic. As the larvae develop into juvenile fish they begin to move to area of prosperous feeding, often times moving upstream a considerable distance. In many cases the movement of fish an especially young Prickly Sculpin is limited by man-made barriers or diversions. In the lakes the juvenile fish forage around the lake shores and then gradually move into deeper water as they grow. Feeding patterns in the Prickly Sculpin vary depending upon geographical location and or by size. For example in Clear Lake these fish may feed more consistently throughout the day. Both adults an juveniles eating midges and amphipods. While in coastal streams the food source might be benthic invertebrates, aquatic insects, mollusks, etc. Adult sculpins may supplement their diet with small fish and frogs.
Links to Other Research
	Here's a list of California watersheds where Prickly Sculpin may be found. © 2003 - Regents of the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Communication Services E-Mail Web Master ANR Non-Discrimination Statement