Marine Wildlife Encyclopedia
Lumpsucker Cyclopterus lumpus
The adult lumpsucker (or lumpfish) has a slightly grotesque appearance because the first dorsal fin becomes overgrown with thick, lumpy skin. Other bony lumps and bumps stick out in irregular rows along its large, rounded body. The pelvic fins form a strong sucker disk on its belly, which the lumpsucker uses to cling to wave-battered rocks near the shore where it spawns. The male guards the eggs from crabs and also fans them. Lumpsucker eggs are marketed as substitute caviar.
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- Order Scorpaeniformes
- Length Up to 24 in (60 cm)
- Weight Up to 21 lb (9.5 kg)
- Depth 7–1,300 ft (2–400 m)
- Distribution Temperate and cold waters of north Atlantic
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