roughback sculpin
Chitonotus pugetensis
Sculpin of sand and mud bottoms in the eastern Pacific, living from the intertidal zone down to 142 m. In Mexico it lives in Baja California and has commercial use and use in public aquariums.
Also called: cabeçudo-de-dorso-rugoso, charrasco espalda rugosa, roughback sculpin
- maximum
- 23 cm
- depth
- 0–142 m
who is the roughback sculpin
Sculpin of the family Cottidae, with an elongated body and a large, nearly round tail fin, reaching 23 cm. It lives on sand and mud bottoms, from the intertidal zone down to 142 m, most commonly to 73 m. It occurs in the eastern Pacific, from northern British Columbia, Canada, to southern Baja California, Mexico. Species of the genus can breathe air. It is usually nocturnal, according to aquarium observations, and feeds on shrimp and other crustaceans. It is caught commercially and taken for public aquariums.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the roughback sculpin; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Elongated body, with a large, nearly round tail fin and small pelvic fins. It generally lives on sand and mud bottoms, down to 142 m. To tell it apart from the other sculpin of the same coast, the horned sculpin (Leptocottus armatus), look at the large, curved spine on the gill cover and the dark blotch on the spiny dorsal fin: these marks belong to that species, not to this one.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
In Latin America, only in Mexico, as far as southern Baja California, on sand and mud bottoms; the species occurs from northern British Columbia, Canada, to Mexico.
Habitat: Sand and mud bottoms, from the intertidal zone down to 142 m, mostly to 73 m.
when to fish
best time of day
Nighttime. Aquarium observations indicate a nocturnal habit.
rules for the roughback sculpin
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
No venom has been recorded. The dorsal fin has spines, so hold it carefully and avoid running your hand past the fins.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00603, b = 3.15; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
—
sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Chitonotus pugetensis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Chitonotus pugetensisNames by country and language.
