Procottus jeittelesii, the red sculpin or red Baikal sculpin,[1] is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This species is endemic to Lake Baikal in Russia.[2] It is a freshwater fish that dwells under stones or in holes in the mud at a depth range of 0to.[2] [3] It is often found at around 100m (300feet), and is most abundant during the autumn and winter.[2] From the late winter to the spring it breeds at depths of 5to.[4] It can reach a maximum length of 18cm (07inches), but typically is NaNcm (-2,147,483,648inches).[4] It has a red spotted or banded pattern on a light background.[4] The red sculpin resembles two of its close relatives, the smaller P. gurwici and the larger P. major.[5] [6]
The red sculpin's diet consists of zoobenthos, especially amphipods but also oligochaetes.[2] [4] Despite its small size, it is caught and eaten by locals, and also eaten by the Baikal seal and other fish.[7]