Myoxocephalus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. They are found in the northern Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, with a few species in lakes.
Myoxocephalus was first proposed as a monospecific genus in 1811 by Tilesius when he described Myoxocephalus stelleri from Kamchatka. The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies this genus in the subfamily Cottinae of the family Cottidae[1] but other authorities classify it in the subfamily Myoxocephalinae of the family Psychrolutidae, although others place the subfamily Myoxocephalinae within the Cottidae.[2]
There are currently 14 recognized species in this genus:[3]
In 2020 workers undertook a comparison of the Mitochondrial DNA of the fourhorn sculpin and the belligerent sculpin (Megalcottus platycephalus) and found that the fourhorn sculpin was more closely related to the belligerent sculpin than it was to the other species in the genus Myoxocephalus, they proposed that the fourhorn sculpin be reclassified as a member of the genus Megalocottus.[4]
Myoxocephalus sculpins have a no scales above the lateral line, which lacks bony plates, on the body, which may be naked or have bony plates, scutes or small, sharp spines. The head is large and deep and has a covering of thick skin, there are no bony granulations on the head bit some species have warty knobs or skin flaps. The head has thin sensory canals. The upper spine on the preoperculum is elongated with a wide base and points diagonally upwards. The upper jaw clearly projects beyond the lower and there are vomerine teeth but no palatine teeth. There is always a slit behind d the fourth gill arch but this may be reduced to a pore. The spiny dorsal fin is slight larger or similar in size to the soft-rayed dorsal fin and they are connected. In males the pelvic fins typically bo not extend as far as the anus. The soft rays of the dorsal, anal and pectoral fins are simple.[5] These sculpins are relatively large, the largest species is the great sculpin with a maximum published total length of while the smallest is the grubby with a maximum published total length of .
Myoxocephalus sculpins are found in the northern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and the Arctic Ocean. There are cases where they have become landlocked in lakes. They are fishes of the coast and continental shelf and many species can tolerate low salinities and they are found over sand, mud or rocks.[5]
Myoxocephalus Sculpins are predators on fishes and benthic invertebrates. They spawn in winter and spring, laying demersal eggs which the males guard.[5]