Sculpin ID help please

Fish & Invertebrate sightings and descriptions, hosted by resident NWDC ID expert Janna Nichols (nwscubamom).
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aviddiver.her
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Sculpin ID help please

Post by aviddiver.her »

Found this guy at San Clemente Island, CA. I'd say it was 6-10 in long. I can't find anything in my ID book that looks like this one. Perhaps it is a juvenile of a larger sculpin?
P1010362_edited-1.jpg
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Mattleycrue76
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Re: Sculpin ID help please

Post by Mattleycrue76 »

Unfortunately I haven't the faintest clue what that is but its one cool looking fish!
"The She-Ps didn't work for either one of us, however- we accidently glued one to Dan's cat, and the other one ended up in a DEA evidence locker somehow." - Joshua Smith
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Greg Jensen
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Re: Sculpin ID help please

Post by Greg Jensen »

I think it's one of the scorpionfish- probably a California scorpionfish, Scorpaena guttata. That's why you're not finding it in the sculpin section of your book.
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aviddiver.her
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Re: Sculpin ID help please

Post by aviddiver.her »

Thanks Greg. I did look at the scorpionfishes too but only looked at the photo on the California Scorpionfish so I did not notice they have numerous barbels on the head. I kept looking at the Stone Scorpionfish but the barbels are supposed to be under the mouth not on top.

BTW that is one scary looking cat you have :eek:
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