Kingdom Animalia Class Actinopterygii Family Cottidae | Phylum Chordata Order Scorpaeniformes Genus Melletes | |
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Melletes papilio, commonly known as the butterfly sculpin, is a species of fish in the family Cottidae, the largest family of fishes referred to as sculpins. It is the only recognized species in the monotypic genus Melletes.
Contents
Description
The mature animal is maximum length of 42 cm (17 in), and maximum weight of 960 g (34 oz).
Distribution
M. papilio lives in benthopelagic marine environments of the northern Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk, in sandy or silty flat areas. It is usually found at depths of 41–80 m (135–262 ft) and water temperature from −0.9 to 10.7°C.
Behavior
Adults feed on mussels, crabs, and barnacles.
References
Melletes papilio Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA