The Grunt Sculpin comes from north Pacific coasts, spending its time on rocky and sandy sea floors. They like the cold, so they live in the inter-tidal zone in the colder parts of their range and deeper waters in the warmer, more southerly areas.
They have tough, spiky plates all over their body and make a grunting noise when disturbed.
Me, in an unusually high-pitched voice: Awwww! Look at the little fishie!
Fishie: *grunt*
They reach about 9 cm (3.5 in) long and like to hide out in the empty shells of large barnacles. This is when the lovely colouration and strange body-shape really comes into its own. With their head poking out they look like a living barnacle with its shell shut. If they turn around, their protruding, orange fins look like a living barnacle feeding. Amazing!
They have some of the same sweetness as the Sea Horse but they are actually in the order Scorpaeniformes, which makes them more closely related to the Lionfish. As such, they are a predator, and feast on small crustaceans and larval fish.
Like Lionfish, the Grunt Sculpin has spiny pectoral fins. They don't use them for horrid piercing and poisoning, though. Instead, they walk along the ocean floor! It actually looks more like little jumps, which makes it all the more adorable!
When it comes to mating, the females have a lot of work to do. She actually chases the male into some rocks and traps him there when she's ready to mate. Then she guards the eggs when the male is permitted his freedom. One wonders if the male has any idea whatsoever of what's going on. It sounds like they need some sex education over there.
6 comments:
i'd have almost paid money to get an audio of your high-pitched squeel followed by the fish's grunt. :)
Hahahahaaa! I think that would be money well spent!
The little fish looked strange in the photos... but in the videos - CUUUUUTE!
Yes! Seeing them hopping and skipping and those little eyes peeping around is incredibly heart warming!
Neat! You should do one on the Sarcastic Fringehead... I didn't see it here, but maybe I just didn't go back far enough.
You're right! I haven't done that one yet.
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