Ecology of Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus
 
Main Ref. Laroche, J.L., 1982
Remarks Commonly found in harbors and shallow coastal waters. Move to deeper water in winter. Adults attach their eggs near the base of a sponge to use as a spawning bed (Ref. 34819, 41075). Benthic. Feeds on crustaceans, zooplankton, zoobenthos, molluscs, sea squirts, squids and fishes (Ref. 13548, 58426). Parasites of the species include 6 protozoans, 3 myxosporidians, 2 nematodes and 4 hirudineans (Ref. 5951).

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

Marine - Neritic Marine - Oceanic Brackishwater Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies
  • supra-littoral zone
  • littoral zone
  • sublittoral zone
  • epipelagic
  • mesopelagic
  • epipelagic
  • abyssopelagic
  • hadopelagic
  • estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas
  • mangroves
  • marshes/swamps
  • rivers/streams
  • lakes/ponds
  • caves
  • exclusively in caves
Highighted items on the list are where Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus may be found.

Habitat

Substrate
Substrate Ref.
Special habitats
Special habitats Ref.

Associations

Ref.
Associations schooling; shoaling;
Associated with
Association remarks A bottom dwelling fish located in the western Atlantic; found in shoals and estuaries down to a depth of 192m; in southern New England spawning takes place inshore from late November through January on rocky bottom; average female deposits around 8000 eggs which are demersal, adhesive, and deposited in clusters on sponges or cavities on hard bottom; eggs measure 1.9-2.3mm in diameter, colour varying from green to orange. Larvae present on the Scotian Shelf from March to May; duration of larval drift, around 30 days. Individuals >30cm were mature. Longhorn sculpin appear to be opportunistic feeders. At present, no information pertaining to population structure, although discontinuities in distribution could suggest population sub-structutre (Ref. 94971). Slow-moving; abundant in many shoal harbors and bays and run up into estuaries, salt creeks, and river mouths, but never into feshwater; have been caught in considerable numbers down to 90 m in the Scotian shelf. Only periodic movements are off and onshore, and of short extent, including seasonal movements to and fro particular grounds in relation to water temperature changes (Ref. 86779).
Parasitism

Feeding

Feeding type mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up)
Feeding type Ref. Hacunda, J.S., 1981
Feeding habit hunting macrofauna (predator)
Feeding habit Ref. Coad, B.W. and J.D. Reist, 2004
Trophic Level(s)
Estimation method Original sample Unfished population Remark
Troph s.e. Troph s.e.
From diet composition 3.62 0.20 3.41 0.40 Troph of juv./adults from 4 studies.
From individual food items 3.39 0.52 Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref. Bowman, R.E., C.E. Stillwell, W.L. Michaels and M.D. Grosslein, 2000
(e.g. 346)
(e.g. oophagy)
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