Sculpin (Cottus Gobio)

Class of the Actinopterygian order of Scorpaeniformes family of Cottidae Cottus gobio (Linnaeus, 1758)

Sculpin has a stocky body: thick in its part earlier and thinned in his posterior. The body is covered with inconspicuous tiny scales giving an appearance of bare skin. The lateral line is well marked. Sculpin lacks a swim bladder. Sculpin has a characteristic broad, flattened head which it takes its name ("cottos' = head). Each lid is equipped with a thorn. The mouth is large with thick lips. The eyes are positioned high on the head in order to sighted prey that swim above the bottom. There is a sexual dimorphism in the level of the head of the sculpin: the male has a wide head has two contiguous dorsal fins, the second fin soft rays is longer than the first spiny-rayed. The caudal fin is rounded. The pectoral fins are large, highly developed and arranged in a fan. They play a role in anchoring on the bottom and in the landfill. The male have anal fin longer than those of the female.

Normally the total length does not exceed 10-15 cm, but it can reach 18 cm.

The back is brown dark spots more or less dark marble. The belly is light-colored.

In the northern regions, sculpin can reach 5 years. In the southern regions, he lives about 3 years.

The chabot is a carnivore. It remains on the lookout to catch benthic invertebrates such as crustaceans, worms and insect larvae. It feeds occasionally eggs and fish larvae shortly after hatching. He sometimes practiced cannibalism.

Spawning takes place between March and April. Several females deposit their slimy eggs in a nest built under stones, in a depression and are guarded by a male. It monitors the pundits of the females he successively drew to its nest and ventilates the eggs.

Found sculpin in rivers or lakes to water cool and well oxygenated, bottomed stony. It is a species that lives mainly in trout and shadow areas. This pollution-sensitive fish is a good indicator of the quality of the water.

It is found in Western, Central and Eastern Europe. It is absent from the North of Ireland, Scotland, Greece, of the Norway, South of the Italy and the Spain.

Sculpin can be taken accidentally by fishing trout in the toc.