Everything about Lumpsucker totally explained
Lumpsuckers or
Lumpfish are mostly small
scorpaeniform marine
fish of the
family Cyclopteridae. They are found in the cold waters of the
Arctic,
North Atlantic, and
North Pacific oceans. The greatest number of species are found in the North Pacific.
The
roe of
Cyclopterus lumpus, known as the
stenbider (literally "stone biter") in
Danish, is used extensively in
Danish cuisine. The roe is also used as a delicious and affordable alternative to the sometimes wildly expensive
caviar from
sturgeons.
The family name
Cyclopteridae derives from the
Greek words
kyklos meaning "circle" and
pteryx meaning "fin".
Physical description
Lumpsuckers are named appropriately enough; their portly bodies are nearly spherical with generally drab coloration and lithic patterns. The "sucker" part refers to the fish's modified
pelvic fins, which have evolved into adhesive discs (located ventrally, behind the pectoral fins); the fish use these discs to adhere to the
substrate. Many species have bony, wart-like
tubercles adorning the head and body; these are important
taxonomic features of the family.
The simple, rounded fins are small with the exception of the broad, fan-like pectorals, which actually extend ventrally. The first of the two
dorsal fins is spinous, with 4-8 spines; in some species, this fin is completely overgrown with skin and therefore not visible. While the
lateral line in Lumpsuckers is otherwise reduced or absent, it's well developed in the head; some species even have tubular, whisker-like external projections of the
opercular canal, which is a part of the cranial lateral line system.
The relatively small mouths of Lumpsuckers are lined with narrow rows of small conical teeth. The
gas bladder is absent. In terms of length, Lumpsuckers range in size from two centimetres in
Lethotremus awae to 60 centimetres in
Cyclopterus lumpus (known commonly as simply the Lumpsucker). With the exception of the
Smooth Lumpsucker (
Aptocyclus ventricosus) at 40.5 centimetres, all other species are under 14 centimetres in length.
[[image:toadand spiny lumpsuckers.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Toad and Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers demonstrating adhesive pelvic discs]
Habitat and diet
As their appearance might suggest, Lumpsuckers are not good swimmers. Most species are
benthic; that is, they spend most of their time on or near the bottom. The fish are found on rocky or muddy substrates, where their coloration allows for effective
camouflage. Members of the family are found primarily on the
continental shelf or slope, at depths from 100-1,700 metres. Some of the deeper-living species are however
pelagic, remaining some distance above the ocean floor.
Benthic species dine upon sessile
invertebrates such as
polychaete worms,
crustaceans and
mollusks. Pelagic species target prey they're capable of overtaking, namely slow-moving
jellyfish and
ctenophores.
Behaviour and reproduction
Lumpsuckers are a poorly studied group, with little known of their behaviour and biology. At least some species are known to travel great distances in order to spawn in shallow, intertidal waters (from December to June in the Smooth Lumpsucker); this may well be true of all species. Males are also known to guard the brood of spherical eggs.
Hatchlings have well-developed pectoral fins and adhesive pelvic discs, which the fish use to cling to rocks in shallow water. Young fish remain in shallow, warmer water until fully developed.
Pacific cod and
Sablefish are known predators of Lumpsuckers, the latter capable of inflating themselves with water, presumably as a defensive tactic.
Species
There are 27 species in 6 genera:
- Genus Aptocyclus
- Genus Cyclopsis
- Genus Cyclopteropsis
- Cyclopteropsis bergi Popov, 1929.
- Cyclopteropsis brashnikowi (Schmidt, 1904).
- Bumpy lumpsucker, Cyclopteropsis inarmatus Mednikov & Prokhorov, 1956.
- Smooth lumpfish, Cyclopteropsis jordani Soldatov, 1929.
- Cyclopteropsis lindbergi Soldatov, 1930.
- Arctic lumpsucker, Cyclopteropsis mcalpini (Fowler, 1914).
- Cyclopteropsis popovi Soldatov, 1929.
- Genus Cyclopterus
- Genus Eumicrotremus
- Pimpled lumpsucker, Eumicrotremus andriashevi Perminov, 1936.
- Eumicrotremus asperrimus (Tanaka, 1912).
- Eumicrotremus barbatus (Lindberg & Legeza, 1955).
- Leatherfin lumpsucker, Eumicrotremus derjugini Popov, 1926.
- Eumicrotremus fedorovi Mandrytsa, 1991.
- Eumicrotremus gyrinops (Garman, 1892).
- Pacific spiny lumpsucker, Eumicrotremus orbis (Günther, 1861).
- Eumicrotremus pacificus Schmidt, 1904.
- Toad lumpsucker, Eumicrotremus phrynoides Gilbert & Burke, 1912.
- Eumicrotremus schmidti Lindberg & Legeza, 1955.
- Eumicrotremus soldatovi Popov, 1930.
- Atlantic spiny lumpsucker, Eumicrotremus spinosus (Fabricius, 1776).
- Eumicrotremus taranetzi Perminov, 1936.
- Eumicrotremus tartaricus Lindberg & Legeza, 1955.
- Eumicrotremus terraenovae Myers & Böhlke, 1950.
- Genus Lethotremus
Note:
Eumicrotremus eggvinii (Koefoed, 1956) has been shown to be the male of the E. spinosus species
Further Information
Get more info on 'Lumpsucker'.
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