Wooly Sculpin (Clinocottus analis)

A master of camouflage, this Wooly Sculpin is almost invisible against its surroundings. They hunt by waiting and lunging. They will eat almost any invertebrate they can fit in their mouths. They grow up to 5 inches (12 cm). Sculpin can survive in extreme conditions found in the intertidal zone, rapid temperature fluctuations, rapid changes in salinity as pools evaporate. Some of these types of fish can, if trapped in a drying pool at low tide, breathe air for a time that allows them to get to another pool. It's estimated that half the fish in Southern California tide pools are Wooly Sculpins.