386 Little, Shorthorn Sculpins 



Little Sculpin 

 Myoxocephalus aeneus (Mitchill) 



Color. Variable; usually a shade of gray or green-gray 

 above; sides mottled light and dark; belly white or light 

 gray. 



Distribution: Newfoundland to New Jersey but most com- 

 mon south of Cape Cod. 

 Size: Reaches a length of about 8 inches. 

 General Information: The Little Sculpin is common from 

 the tide mark down to depths of about 90 feet. It is the 

 common sculpin in the shoal waters of the southern New 

 England and the Middle Atlantic regions. Spawning oc- 

 curs in winter and early spring. The sticky eggs sink to 

 the bottom, where they adhere to various objects and to 

 each other. The Little Sculpin feeds on all types of bot- 

 tom animals as well as fish. 



Economic Importance: Of no commercial value. This spe- 

 cies is frequently caught by anglers while fishing for other 

 species. 



Shorthorn Sculpin 

 Myoxocephalus scorpius (Linnaeus) 



Color: Upper surface of body variable shades of brown; 

 broad black bars. Lower sides spotted with yellow. Belly 

 yellow or white in females, orange spotted with white in 

 males. 



