Sea raven

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Sea raven
Silverspotted sculpin, Blepsias cirrhosus
Silverspotted sculpin, Blepsias cirrhosus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Hemitripteridae
Genera

Blepsias
Hemitripterus
Nautichthys
See text for species.

Sea ravens are a family, Hemitripteridae of scorpaeniform fishes. They are bottom-dwelling fishes that feed on small invertebrates, found in the northwest Atlantic and north Pacific oceans. They are covered in small spines (modified scales).

[edit] Species

There are eight species in three genera:

  • Genus Blepsias
    • Crested sculpin, Blepsias bilobus Cuvier, 1829.
    • Silverspotted sculpin, Blepsias cirrhosus (Pallas, 1811).
  • Genus Hemitripterus
    • Sea raven, Hemitripterus americanus (Gmelin, 1789).
    • Bigmouth sculpin, Hemitripterus bolini (Myers, 1934).
    • Sea raven, Hemitripterus villosus (Pallas, 1814).
  • Genus Nautichthys
    • Sailfin sculpin, Nautichthys oculofasciatus (Girard, 1858).
    • Eyeshade sculpin, Nautichthys pribilovius (Jordan & Gilbert, 1898).
    • Shortmast sculpin, Nautichthys robustus Peden, 1970.

[edit] References