Lumpsuckers
Smooth Lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Scorpaeniformes Family: Cyclopteridae
Genera
Aptocyclus Cyclopsis Cyclopteropsis Cyclopterus Eumicrotremus Lethotremus Smooth Lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus), somewhat inflated as a defensive response. ... Scientific classification - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Bilateria Acoelomorpha Orthonectida Rhombozoa ?Myxozoa Superphylum Deuterostomia    Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders See text The Actinopterygii are the ray-finned fish. ... Families See text Scorpaeniformes is an order of ray-finned fish, also called the Scleroparei, closely related to and sometimes included in the Perciformes. ... See genus (mathematics) for the use of the term in mathematics. ...

Lumpsuckers or Lumpfish are mostly small scorpaeniform marine fish of the family Cyclopteridae. Found in the cold waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, and North Pacific oceans, the family contains approximately 28 species in six genera. The greatest number of species are found in the North Pacific. Families See text Scorpaeniformes is an order of ray-finned fish, also called the Scleroparei, closely related to and sometimes included in the Perciformes. ... Atlantic herring, Clupea harengus, the most abundant fish species in the world. ... Scientific classification or biological classification refers to how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... The Arctic Ocean, located mostly in the north polar region, is the smallest of the worlds five oceans, and the shallowest. ... The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ... The Pacific Ocean (from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, peaceful sea, bestowed upon it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan) is the worlds largest body of water. ... In biology, a species is a kind of organism. ... See genus (mathematics) for the use of the term in mathematics. ...

The roe of larger species is used extensively in Danish cuisine, where the fish are known as stenbider. Salmon roe at the Shiogama seafood market in Japan Wiktionary has a definition of: Roe Roe is the fully ripe egg masses of fish and certain marine invertebrates, such as sea urchins. ... Danish cuisine, like that in the other Scandinavian countries ( Sweden and Norway), as well as that in northern Germany, its neighbor to the south, is traditionally heavy and rich in fat. ...

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. Fish anatomy is primarily governed by the physical characteristics of water, which is much denser than air, holds a relatively small amount of dissolved oxygen, and absorbs light more than does air. ... The word substrate can mean the following: In biochemistry, a substrate is a molecule which is acted upon by an enzyme. ... Taxonomy (from Greek ταξινομία from the words taxis = order and nomos = law) may refer to either a hierarchical classification of things, or the principles underlying the classification. ...

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 is 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. Dorsal Fin of the Orca A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of fishes, whales, dolphins and porpoises. ... In fish, the lateral line is a sense organ used to detect movement in the surrounding water. ...

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. The gas bladder (also fish maw, less accurately swim bladder or air bladder) is an internal organ that contributes to the ability of a fish to control its buoyancy, and thus to stay at the current water depth, ascend, or descend without having to waste energy in swimming. ...

Toad and Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers demonstrating adhesive pelvic discs

Download high resolution version (488x772, 36 KB)Toad Lumpsuckers (Eumicrotremus phrynoides - middle two) and Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers (Eumicrotremus orbis - top and bottom), demonstrating adhesive pelvic discs. ... Download high resolution version (488x772, 36 KB)Toad Lumpsuckers (Eumicrotremus phrynoides - middle two) and Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers (Eumicrotremus orbis - top and bottom), 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. In marine geology and biology, benthos are the organisms and habitats of the sea floor; in freshwater biology they are the organisms and habitats of the bottoms of lakes, rivers, and creeks. ... Anolis caroliensis showing blending camouflage and counter-shading. ... The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent, which is covered during interglacial periods such as the one we live in by relatively shallow seas and gulfs. ... The pelagic zone is the part of the open sea or ocean comprising the water column, i. ...

Benthic species dine upon sessile invertebrates such as polychaete worms, crustaceans and mollusks. Pelagic species target prey they are capable of overtaking, namely slow-moving jellyfish and ctenophores. Invertebrate is a term coined by Chevalier de Lamarck to describe any animal without a backbone or vertebra, like insects, squids and worms. ... Orders Amphinomida Capitellida Chaetopterida Cirratulida Cossurida Ctenodrillidae Eunicida Flabelligerida Magelonida Myzostomida Nerillida Opheliida Orbiniida Orweniida Phyllodocida Pisionidae Polygordiida Protodrilida Psammodrilidae Sabellida Spionida Spintheridae Sternaspida Terebellida The Polychaeta or Polychaetes are a class of annelid worms, generally marine, with a pair of fleshy protrusions on each body segment called parapodia that... A worm is an elongated soft-bodied invertebrate animal. ... Classes Remipedia Cephalocarida Branchiopoda Ostracoda Maxillopoda Malacostraca The crustaceans (Crustacea) are a large group of arthropods (55,000 species), usually treated as a subphylum. ... Classes Caudofoveata Aplacophora Polyplacophora - Chitons Monoplacophora Bivalvia - Bivalves Scaphopoda - Tusk shells Gastropoda - Snails and Slugs Cephalopoda - Squids, Octopuses, etc. ... This article is about jellyfish, the sea creatures. ... Classes Tentaculata Nuda Ctenophores are jellyfish-like animals commonly called comb jellies, sea gooseberries, sea walnuts, or Venus girdles. ...

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. December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ...

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. Binomial name Gadus macrocephalus The Pacific Cod (Gadus macrocephalus) is an important commercial food species. ... The sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria is one of two members of the fish family Anoplopomatidae. ...

See also

• List of fish common names
• List of fish families

This is a list of fish common names. ... This is a list of fish families sorted by scientific name. ...

External link

• FishBase entry on Cyclopteridae (http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/FamilySummary.cfm?ID=284)