Sculpin | DE L'EAU À LA BOUCHE

Corps trapu et allongé, de couleur variable, unie, avec des points ou des rayures.

Grosse tête avec de grands yeux et une bouche large.

Épines sur les opercules de la tête, les branchies et le dos.

Le ventre du mâle devient rouge avec de grandes taches blanches en période de reproduction.

Nom

Sculpin
Myoxocephalus scorpius

Type

Bottom fish

Autres appellations

Short-spined sea scorpion, horthorn sculpin, warty sculpin, father lasher, bull rout

Nom en cuisine

Sculpin

État de la ressource

Not determined

Saison de consommation

Fresh during summer and autumn.

SIZE :

From 15 to 30 cm, up to 60 cm.

LIFE EXPECTANCY :

Up to 18 years.

LIFE CYCLE :

Sexual maturity is reached at approximately 2 years of age.

Spawning occurs near the end of November. The female will lay up to 60,000 eggs. The male is responsible for the protection of the eggs during a period of 3 months, up until they hatch.

On the defensive

In addition to its spines, the sculpin has another very efficient defence mechanism: it has the ability to modify its color and camouflage with its environment.

On the seabed, up to 450 m deep.

On muddy or sandy bottoms or on beds of seaweed, near the coast.

PREYS :

Crabs
Shrimps
Urchins
Small fishes

PREDATORS :

Cods
Seals
Seabirds

Photographie d'un chaboisseau proche d'un fond de cailloux.

With its large head, the sculpin can eat fish that are relatively large for its size.
Credit : Robert Baronet, photo taken in Exploramer's aquariums, in 2010.

Voir l’image en plein écran

There is no direct fishing for sculpin in Quebec. It is sometimes accidentally captured with catches of other bottom feeders. It can be used as bait for larger fish or lobster but is still good for human consumption.

BENEFITS :

Source of protein.

LET’S COOK :

Delicate and tender white meat, much like that of cod or haddock.

Braised or oven-baked are the preferred methods of cooking. It is also very good in fish stews or chowders.

Careful, it stings.

If you are going to fillet the fish watch out for the spines. As well as hurting, the operculum on the head of the sculpin become poisonous during reproduction time.