Pacific Staghorn Sculpin
Leptocottus armatus
Pacific Staghorn Sculpin (Leptocottus armatus) is a small sculpin of the North Pacific that lives on sandy and muddy bottoms in bays, estuaries, and lower rivers. It’s a benthic ambush feeder and is usually taken incidentally rather than targeted.
Identification points
- Long, tapering body with a large, broad, flattened head
- Two dorsal fins, with the first showing stout spines
- Mottled brown to olive coloration with a pale belly and broad fan-shaped pectoral fins
Habitat
Shallow coastal bays, estuaries, tidal channels, eelgrass edges, and the lower reaches of brackish to freshwater rivers; typically over sand, mud, shell, or mixed bottom near cover.
Bait notes
Small pieces of shrimp, clam, mussel, marine worms, or cut bait work well. Small soft-plastic grubs, worm imitations, and tiny jigs bounced on bottom also take fish.
Behavior
Bottom-dwelling and cryptic, often lying partly buried or resting against structure. Feeds on small fishes, crustaceans, worms, and other benthic invertebrates, mostly by ambush near the substrate.
Caution
Spines can be sharp and the fish is slimy, so handle carefully. It is not known as a high-mercury species, but local advisories still apply if you keep fish from polluted estuaries.
Fishing notes
Fish close to bottom with light tackle and short hops or slow drags. Work around dock pilings, tidal flats, creek mouths, and eelgrass edges; bites are often subtle. It is generally a bycatch species, not a primary game fish.