Order

Scorpaeniformes

  Class

Actinopterygii

No. in FishBase

Genera : 8 | Species : 27 Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes

  Environment

Fresh : No | Brackish : No | Marine : Yes

  Division

Marine

  Aquarium

none

  First Fossil Record

     

  Remark

Distribution: Arctic, northern regions of the North Pacific and North Atlantic. Most speciose in North Pacific. Sucking disk composed of modified pelvic fin elements; short gill openings; no normal scales; and no head spines. Vertebrae 23-29; globose or nearly globose body; 2 short dorsal fins; and a short anal fin. Most lumpfishes have spiny tubercles on the head and body. The number, structure and arrangement of the tubercles are important taxonomic characters. First dorsal fin with 4-8 spines, second dorsal with 8-13 soft rays located opposite an anal fin with 7-13 soft rays. Dorsal and anal fins not confluent with caudal fin, a definite caudal peduncle present. Caudal fin large and slightly rounded. Pectoral fins with 19-29 rays, extending ventrally in front of the pelvic disk. Nostrils tubular, two pairs. Cephalic lateral line canals well developed (occipital absent in some species); pores of operculomandibular canals extended externally as barbel-like tubes in some species. Trunk lateral line canal absent or short; superficial neuromasts, papillate in some species, present. Small, conical teeth on jaws arranged in a few rows or narrow bands. Gill opening entirely above pectoral fin base, except extending a little below upper corner of pectoral base in Cyclopterus. Branchiostegal rays 6. Swim bladder absent. Maximum length 61 cm. Marine; most species benthic on continental shelf and upper slope. A few species are primarily pelagic in deeper waters. Some, maybe all, spawn in shallow coastal waters, sometimes migrating hundreds of miles. After spawning, males guards the eggs. Diet in benthic environment includes polychaetes, crustaceans and mollusks. Pelagic diet comprises slow-moving prey, mostly medusae and ctenophores. In what may be partly a defensive reaction, they inflate their bodies by swallowing air or water. Also known as lumpsuckers. Nelson 1994 (Ref. 7463) recognizes Liparidae as a separate family.

  Etymology

Greek, kyklos = circle + Greek, pteryx, pterygion = fin ( Ref. 45335).

  Reproductive guild

guarders

  Typical activity level

normal

  Main Ref

Mecklenburg, C.W. and B.A. Sheiko 2003

  Coordinator

  Deep Fin Classification

Osteichthyes | Actinopterygii | Actinopteri | Neopterygii | Teleostei | Osteoglossocephalai | Clupeocephala | Euteleosteomorpha | Neoteleostei | Eurypterygia | Ctenosquamata | Acanthomorphata | Euacanthomorphacea | Percomorphaceae | Percomorpharia | Perciformes | Cottoidei | Cyclopteridae