Tidepool Sculpin (Oligocottus maculosus)

Description: Tidepool sculpins are the most common fish seen in tide pools at Haystack Rock. These creatures are little fish, usually tan but sometimes brown or green or even black. It has a mottled pattern to its body with five dark patches on its back and reaches 9 cm in length. Tidepool sculpins also have little hair-like structures called cirri on top of its head (not including the snout).

Habitat: They range geographically from the Bering Sea down to southern California. Look closely in any deep tide pool and there is probably a tidepool sculpin camouflaged on the bottom.

Diet: In tide pools, these fish feed on marine creatures like worms and small crustaceans. They’re hunted by great blue herons, various shorebirds, crabs and larger fish.

Tide Pool Tidbits:

• In order to hide from predators, tidepool sculpins can change color to match the colors of their habitat.

• Unlike some other fish, tidepool sculpins are able to handle varying levels of temperature and salinity, making them perfectly adapted to tide pools where conditions are always changing with the tide.

Reference: Aquarium of the Pacific

Other Sculpin