some kind of sculpin and a... ?

[spatman]

hi folks

saw this sculpin at redondo yesterday, and wasn't sure what kind it is:

we also saw several of these, and have no idea what they are:

thanks for your help!

[divergirl07]

Hey , how bad was the viz there? I heard it was HORRIBLE on Thursday.... :naka:

[spatman]

Hey , how bad was the viz there?

it was terrible. about 5' of viz down to about 50fsw. opened up below that to maybe 10-12'. probably due to the dredge in the channel and a ton of students there yesterday...

some other viz reports, etc from yesterday's dive on this thread.

[Dusty2]

First one I think is a tide pool sculpin. The second is a snake prickleback

[spatman]

First one I think is a tide pool sculpin. The second is a snake prickleback

thanks, dusty!

[Pez7378]

I'm not sold on the Tidepool ID. It looks to me like a Smoothhead Sculpin Artedius lateralis. VB63 in Andy Lambs book.

[Dusty2]

I'm not sold on the Tidepool ID. It looks to me like a Smoothhead Sculpin Artedius lateralis. VB63 in Andy Lambs book.

It is possible. Those sculpins is a pesky bunch for sure

[dwashbur]

Agreed. Trying to get a positive ID on some sculpins can drive you normal.

[Greg Jensen]

Looks like a baby buffalo sculpin. Tidepools have a much smaller head and pointed snout, and smoothheads a somewhat flattened head with a drawn-out, flat snout. Buffs have a characteristic single row of big scales that are visible in the picture.

[spatman]

Looks like a baby buffalo sculpin. Tidepools have a much smaller head and pointed snout, and smoothheads a somewhat flattened head with a drawn-out, flat snout. Buffs have a characteristic single row of big scales that are visible in the picture.

are the scales you're referring to the faint vertical stripes that run along the side of the sculpin?

[Greg Jensen]

yeah, the little markings you can see on and behind his white saddle.

[spatman]

yeah, the little markings you can see on and behind his white saddle.

gotcha. thanks, greg!

[nwscubamom]

I don't have my ID books in front of me right now, but the shape of the head looks more like possibly a baby Great Sculpin to me...plus the black X through the eye is something I've observed in juv Great Sculpins. Could be something else too.

Buffaloes have a pretty hefty cheek spine, different eye and different head shape, I'm thinking...

My two psi...

- Janna

[Greg Jensen]

I may never hear the end of this, but Janna...might...be...right. The snout seems too blunt for a great, but then again it's just a baby and I may have never seen a really small one before. Checking in Hart, I see that greats also have a single row of scales along the lateral line, which never showed up in any of my pictures. Shoulda looked in da book before shooting off my mouth.
Both species have big cheek spines, but depending on lighting these don't always show up very well in a picture. The key thing is the size of the mouth: in buffalos the maxillary only goes back to the middle of the eye, while in greats it goes to the rear of the eye. In this little guy it definitely looks like it goes to the rear of the eye.

[spatman]

wow, these wacky sculpin!

so the X on the eye goes away as the Great Sculpins mature?

[Biodiversity_Guy]

Go Janna!

[nwscubamom]

I may never hear the end of this, but Janna...might...be...right.