Deepwater sculpin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Deepwater sculpin |
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| Deepwater sculpin (male, total length 125 mm, from Lake Michigan 2009) | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
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| Phylum: | |
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Cottidae
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| Genus: |
Myoxocephalus
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| Species: |
M. thompsonii
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| Binomial name | |
| Myoxocephalus thompsonii (Girard, 1851)
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The deepwater sculpin (Myoxocephalus thompsonii) is a small, unique freshwater fish. It lives at the bottom of very cold, deep lakes. You can find them in northern North America.
These fish live from Great Bear Lake in Canada all the way to the Great Lakes. In Canada, they are a special fish species. They are protected because their numbers are a bit low.
Deepwater sculpins are usually gray-brown. They have cool patterns on their head, back, and sides. Their belly is whitish. Most grow to be about 4 to 6 inches (10–15 cm) long. Some can even reach 9 inches (23 cm)! They weigh less than an ounce (under 25 grams).
They eat tiny crustaceans and aquatic insects. Bigger fish like lake trout often eat them. Because they live on the lake bottom, they can be affected by pollution. They were once thought to be gone from Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. But luckily, they have been found there again!
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Where Do Deepwater Sculpins Live?
Deepwater sculpins mostly live in Canada. You can also find them in the American Great Lakes. A few inland lakes in Michigan, Minnesota, and Montana also have them.
Their homes are usually cold, deep lakes. These lakes were often shaped by glaciers long ago. You can find them in places like the Gatineau region and the Great Lakes. They also live in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and up to Great Bear and Great Slave lakes. There's even a group in Waterton Lake, Alberta.
Some groups in eastern Canada are especially important. They are found in only 10 lakes. In Ontario, they live in lakes Nipigon, Ontario, Superior, Fairbank, Huron, and Erie. In Quebec, they are in Lac des Îles, Roddick, Thirty-one-Mile, and Heney lakes. Sadly, some of these groups are shrinking or might even be gone.
Home and Life of the Deepwater Sculpin
The deepwater sculpin is a bottom-dwelling fish. This means it lives right on the lakebed. They need cold water, usually less than 5°C (41°F). The water also needs lots of oxygen. In the Great Lakes, adult sculpins often live between 60 and 150 meters deep. That's why we don't know a lot about their lives!
Scientists are still learning about how they reproduce. We don't know exactly when they lay their eggs. Females usually become adults around three years old. Males mature a bit earlier, at two years. Sculpins from the Great Lakes, especially Lake Ontario, tend to be bigger. Deepwater sculpins are an important food source for deepwater Lake Trout.
What Do Deepwater Sculpins Eat?
Deepwater sculpins mainly eat small creatures. Their favorite foods are tiny crustaceans. These include Mysis and Diporeia. They also enjoy chironomid larvae, which are a type of insect.
When they are very young, they are called larvae. These larvae live in the open water. They probably eat tiny zooplankton. Sometimes, they also eat spineless bugs that live in deep, cold lakes.
What Threats Do Deepwater Sculpins Face?
Deepwater sculpins can be affected by changes in their food supply. For example, if there are fewer Diporeia in the Great Lakes, it can be a problem. Diporeia are a very important food source for them.
Another big threat is when lakes get too many nutrients. This is called eutrophication. It can lead to low oxygen levels at the bottom of the lake. This low oxygen likely caused the decline of sculpins in Heney Lake and Lac des Îles.
Similar Fish Species
The deepwater sculpin has a close relative called the fourhorn sculpin (M. quadricornis). This fish comes in both ocean and freshwater forms.
The main difference is that the marine fourhorn sculpin has four horn-like spines on its head. The deepwater sculpin does not have these "horns." The freshwater fourhorn sculpin lives only in the arctic parts of Canada. It is also found in Northern Europe.
