Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus)
Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus)
Common name: lumpfish
Scientific name: Cyclopterus lumpus
Locations: seaweed beds as juveniles, open water as adults
Seasonality: February - June when they move to shallow waters for spawning
Colors: green, blue, gray, brown, males red during mating season
Size: 1” - 12”
Collected: fishing line
Quantity: sold by the each
Measuring an 11" lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus).
Tidepool Tim says, "As juveniles, lumpfish live within beds of marine vegetation like eelgrass and seaweeds. They attach to substrate with a chest sucker. When they're adults they live in open waters, visiting shallow water to spawn February to June.
Lumpfish eat sea lice, a troublesome parasite that lives on farmed salmon and jeopardizes salmon populations. Some salmon farmers have even introduced lumpfish to their farms to help control the sea lice population."
