Sailfin Sculpin

Nautichthys oculofasciatus

Photograph courtesy of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering To link to their webpage click here.

Aquaculture Potential This species' morphology naturally lends itself well to the ornamental market. It's size, shape and coloration make it an interesting addition to a home or office aquarium. In addition, this species does well in captivity.

In-depth Information Regarding this Species

Alternate Common Names	N/A
U.S. Range in the Pacific Ocean	Kodiak Island to Southern California (Eschmeyer and Herald 1983)
Habitat	Rocky with algae (Eschmeyer and Herald 1983)
Substrate	N/A
Depth range (meters)	Inshore to 110 (Eschmeyer and Herald 1983)
Behavior	Bottom-dwelling (Burgess et al. 1990)
General Temperature Range (°C)	23 (Burgess et al. 1990)
General Salinity Range (ppt)	N/A
Maximum Overall Recorded Size (cm)	N/A
Maximum Recorded Size for Males (cm)	N/A
Maximum Recorded Size for Females (cm)	N/A
Average Maximum Overall Length (cm)	20 (Eschmeyer and Herald 1983, Burgess et al. 1990)
Average Maximum Overall Length for Males (cm)	N/A
Average Maximum Overall Length for Females (cm)	N/A
Average Maximum weight (kg)	N/A
Average Maximum weight for Males (cm)	N/A
Average Maximum weight for Females (cm)	N/A
Length When Harvested (cm)	N/A
Weight When Harvested (kg)	N/A
Overall Length to Age Ratio (cm/age in years)	N/A
Male Length to Age Ratio (cm/age in years)	N/A
Female Length to Age Ratio (cm/age in years)	N/A
Overall Maximum Age (years)	N/A
Maximum Age for Males (years)	N/A
Maximum Age for Females (years)	N/A
Age when Harvested (years)	N/A
Overall Growth Rate	N/A
Male Growth Rate	N/A
Female Growth Rate	N/A
Overall Age at Maturity (years)	N/A
Male Age at Maturity (years)	N/A
Female Age at Maturity (years)	N/A
Overall Length at Maturity (cm)	N/A
Male Length at Maturity (cm)	N/A
Female Length at Maturity (cm)	N/A
Maturity/Temperature Relationship	N/A
Type of Reproduction	N/A
Fecundity	N/A
Spawning Habitat	N/A
Spawning Behavior	Male guards eggs (Eschmeyer and Herald 1983)
Time of Year of Spawning	Winter and Spring (Eschmeyer and Herald 1983)
Number of Spawns per season	N/A
Spawning/Temperature Relationship (°C)	N/A
Spawning/Salinity Relationship	N/A
Description of Eggs	N/A
Habitat where Eggs are found	Eggs laid on rocks (Eschmeyer and Herald 1983)
Days to Hatch	N/A
Time of Year when Eggs Hatch	N/A
Temperature for Egg Survival (°C)	N/A
Salinity for Egg Survival (ppt)	N/A
Predators on Eggs	N/A
Habitat where Larvae are found	N/A
Days in Larval Stage	N/A
Temperature for Larval Survival (°C)	N/A
Salinity for Larval Survival (ppt)	N/A
Larval Food Preference	N/A
Habitat where Juveniles are found	N/A
Length when Juvenile Settles out (cm)	N/A
Temperature for Juvenile Survival (°C)	N/A
Salinity for Juvenile Survival (ppt)	N/A
Where and When Juvenile Feeds	N/A
Juvenile Food Preference	N/A
Habitat where Adults are found (depth in meters)	N/A
Temperature for Adult Survival (°C)	N/A
Salinity for Adult Survival (ppt)	N/A
Adult Feeding Type	N/A
Adult Food Preference	Small Invertebrates (Eschmeyer and Herald 1983) Invertebrates, Fish (Burgess et al. 1990)
Food Eaten in Laboratory Setting	N/A
Amount of Food Eaten in Laboratory Setting	N/A
Additional Laboratory Findings	N/A
Environmental Considerations	N/A
Commercial Fishery	N/A
Market	N/A
Sold Fresh or Frozen	N/A
Style Species is Sold	N/A
Additional Use of the Species	N/A
Shelf-life in Fresh State (days at 40°F)	N/A
Shelf-life in Frozen State (months at 0°F)	N/A
Shelf-life Canned (months)	N/A
Weight sold in Oregon (kg)	N/A
Ornamental Market	" This sculpin does well in captivity and is a popular display fish in public aquariums (Eschmeyer and Herald 1983)." In aquarium guide (Burgess et al. 1990)
Parasites or Disease	N/A
Additional Remarks	Difficult to raise (Burgess et al. 1990)
Location where Species has been Researched/Farmed	N/A
Appropriate Aquaculture Systems	N/A

Recent Wild Harvest Data for Oregon
Data from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
(Data for All Sculpin Species except for Buffalo Sculpin)

Year	Total Catch (Pounds)	Ex-vessel Value ( U.S. Dollars)
1989	2	1
1990	0	0
1991	8	1
1992	0	0
1993	28	75
1994	98	206
1995	101	405
1996	32	32
1997	0	0
1998	8	32

Photo contributed by: Daniel W. Gotshall To email him click here.

© 2003 Stephen Sempier