Alcichthys elongatus

Description

Alcichthys elongatus is a fish in the family Cottidae (sculpins), and the only valid member of its genus. It was described by Franz Steindachner in 1881. It is a marine, boreal fish which is known from the northwestern Pacific Ocean, including the Sea of Okhotsk and Japan. It dwells at a depth range of 15 to 269 m (49 to 883 ft), and inhabits rocky reefs. Males can reach a maximum total length of 44 cm (17 in), but more commonly reach a TL of 31.5 cm (12.4 in). The maximum recorded weight is 1 kg (2.2 lb). A. elongatus aggregates during the winter. In the Russian Federation, its spawning season has been reported to occur from April to June. It is preyed on by Gadus macrocephalus (the Pacific cod), Hemitripterus villosus, and Hexagrammos otakii. Its own diet consists of bony fish such as Engraulis japonicus and Sardinops sagax, crabs such as Erimacrus isenbeckii, Oregonia gracilis and spider crabs, euphausiids such as Euphausia pacifica, as well as cephalopods, polychaetes, and debris. Due to its wide distribution in its region, as well as a lack of known threats, save for rare occasions in which it is caught in gill nets, the IUCN redlist currently lists A. elongatus as least concern.