Sculpin 101 - Tidepool Sculpin

Sculpin 101 - Tidepool Sculpin

Walking along any rocky shore line in the Pacific Northwest you will see tide pools. As a kid growing up and even now I was fascinated by the life in these pools. Algae, kelp, snails, nudibranchs and fish all housed in this little stranded world. Ever changing with the tides.

One of the most common members of these little worlds is a sculpin species apptly names for where they resided. Tidepool Sculpins, Oligocottus maculatus can go up to 9 cm in length and are identified by there large heads and blotchy backs.

Each tidepool may contain several of them, and when disturbed they will shoot forward in the blink of an eye and settle to the bottom again, superbly camouflaged wherever they land.

If these sculpins become stranded out of the water, they have the ability to extract oxygen directly from the air; in other words, they breathe air.

Tidepool Sculpins are carnivores, and they feed primarily on for small crustaceans and worms they find in their pools. Most sculpins are protected from predation by sharp spines on their head and gill covers, but this species is not very heavily spined. In fact, it is scaleless, unusual for a fish but not so unusual for a sculpin, many of which lack scales. Perhaps it makes up in speed and camouflage what it lacks in armament.

Photographing these little fish can pose a difficult challenge. Between their speed and camouflage and usually difficult place that they reside you must pick your time and place to create you image. I’ve found that photographing at high tide during calm conditions, when the tide pools are completely submerged is the best time to try and get your images. Be patient and use your modelling lights to find them.

For some additional reading:

An introduction to Sculpins - https://steemit.com/photography/@scottdphoto/sculpin-101-an-introduction

Thanks for reading and happy snapping.

Scott

For more stories and images - http://www.scottstevensonphotography.ca/