Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker, video copyright by scubabc
You cannot observe the Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker without smiling, as they are quite the comical-looking little fish. Their swimming skills are utterly lacking and they are shaped like marbles with fins. Yet, these little ones get around without a swim bladder like all other fish. What were once pelvic fins have evolved to now form a sucker disc. They use this to attach themselves to eelgrass, rocks, kelp or another flat surface with an exceptionally strong bond.
Pacific Lumpsuckers are about 25 mm in length with tiny little fins, as stated above, they have no swim bladders and yet these small little fish have been seen as deep as 150 meters. You might think that having no swim bladder might be a problem to getting around underwater. It seems they have a very high body density that creates a bony skeleton. They also have deposits of a jelly-like fatty substance that allows these guys to swim upright. It is more significant in females. I believe this is to compensate for the eggs the female carries with her during the spawning season.
Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers spawn from July to October, they spawn in shallow waters. The males come up first to locate cracks that will make good nests for the eggs, then the females arrive and deposit the eggs in the nest. Then the females quickly head back into the depths to resume their normal lives while the males guard the eggs. The males remain on guard for up to 8 weeks, protecting and aerating the brood. He will not leave until the eggs hatch and the little Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker juveniles are ready to go on their own, usually a day or two after hatching.
Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers feed on tiny crustaceans, molluscs and worms. They, in turn, are eaten by many predators. These little fish come in many colours and are quite camouflaged when attached to a substrate.
The Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker is the smallest of the 27 types of lumpsuckers. They are closely related to other fish in the Cyclopteridae Family. These include Sculpins and Snailfish. The Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker can be found from Alaska to Washington state and all of the BC coastal waters.