🦋 Identification Guide

How to Identify Cottidae

40 species · Animalia · Order Scorpaeniformes

Cottidae is a animal family in the Animalia kingdom, order Scorpaeniformes, class . The family contains 40 accepted species worldwide.

Key Identification Features

It has two distinct white bands on the head, with a reddish-brown band between these two bands, and a clearly visible white spot at the base of the caudal peduncle.
This species is characterized by a dorsal fin split into three notches, with an average of 10 to 12 dorsal spines and 18–20 soft dorsal rays.
It has several distinct bands of scales along its body: the dorsal band is roughly 4–5 scales wide, and a second band below the lateral line is about 10 scales wide.
Unlike rockfish and lingcod, which usually live on the sheer faces of rocky ledges, cabezon inhabit the tops of these features.

For instant identification in the field, use the iNature app — AI-powered, works offline.

Representative Cottidae Species

Cottus beldingii Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1891

Paiute sculpin (Cottus beldingii) is a small freshwater fish native to cold stre…

Cottus immaculatus Kinziger & Wood, 2010

Cottus immaculatus, the knobfin sculpin, is a small US cottidae fish found in th…

Artedius corallinus (Hubbs, 1926)

Artedius corallinus, the coralline sculpin, is a small fish found in rocky easte…

Oligocottus snyderi Greeley, 1898

Oligocottus snyderi, the fluffy sculpin, is a small tidepool fish native to the …

Leptocottus armatus Girard, 1854

Leptocottus armatus, the Pacific staghorn sculpin, is a slender fish found along…

Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus (Tilesius, 1811)

The red Irish lord (Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus) is a small bottom-dwelling Nort…

Myoxocephalus aenaeus (Mitchill, 1814)

Myoxocephalus aenaeus is a small sculpin native to the northwest Atlantic Ocean …

Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus (Mitchill, 1814)

Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus, the longhorn sculpin, is a northwest Atlantic d…

Myoxocephalus scorpius (Linnaeus, 1758)

Myoxocephalus scorpius, the shorthorn sculpin, is a demersal fish found in North…

Clinocottus embryum (Jordan & Starks, 1895)

Clinocottus embryum is a small demersal sculpin found in intertidal rocky areas …

Clinocottus analis (Girard, 1858)

Clinocottus analis is an intertidal fish that can breathe air and survive out of…

Scorpaenichthys marmoratus (Ayres, 1854)

Scorpaenichthys marmoratus, the cabezon, is the largest scaleless sculpin found …

Browse all 40 Cottidae species →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you identify Cottidae?

Cottidae animals belong to the Scorpaeniformes order in the Animalia kingdom. It has two distinct white bands on the head, with a reddish-brown band between these two bands, and a clearly visible white spot at the base of the caudal peduncle. For instant identification, use the iNature app — AI-powered and works offline.

What are the key characteristics of Cottidae?

Cottidae is classified in the order Scorpaeniformes, class , phylum Chordata. This species is characterized by a dorsal fin split into three notches, with an average of 10 to 12 dorsal spines and 18–20 soft dorsal rays.

Sources: GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikipedia · Disclaimer