#lumpsucker

[herpsandbirds]

Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker (Eumicrotremus orbis), family Cyclopteridae, order Percidae, coastal Alaska

photograph by David Csepp, NMFS/AKFSC/ABL

[zinyli]

Another batch of comms 🫶

[pikaole]

Lumpsuckers with ribbons🎀

[elvensilk]

picture of lumpsucker fish from wikipedia

[livinseas2]

Edit: this is an archive blog now, blog has moved to livinseas

The Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker (Eumicrotremus orbis) is a favorite fish of mine. I adore seeing these teeny fish bop comically around tanks whenever I’m fortunate enough to visit an aquarium that houses them (Birch Aquarium in San Diego and the Vancouver Aquarium for example are lovely!). I decided to paint this one back in 2023 so I could always have one in my apartment to look at. And lately, inspired by science communication podcasts at work, I decided to combine my love of painting and my love of making science accessible, and share some facts about my favorite fish!

Image was painted by myself with watercolors in 2023, and altered digitally in IbisPaint in 2025 to translate the medium to digital.

Citations:

Cohen, K. E., & Summers, A. P. (2022). Dimorphic fluorescence in the pacific spiny lumpsucker. Ichthyology & Herpetology, 110(2), 350-353.

Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 29 July, 2025 from https://www.calacademy.org/learn-explore/creature-closeups/pacific-spiny-lumpsucker

Volavka, J. (2024). Fascinating Fish: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers. Birch Aquarium - UC San Diego. Retrieved 29 July, 2025, from https://aquarium.ucsd.edu/newsroom/fascinating-fish-pacific-spiny-lumpsuckers

Williawms, J.T. (2024). Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker. IUCN Red List. Retrieved 29 July, 2025, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/241134185/241134188

[chunkfunkgunk-offishal]

how about a pacific spiny lumpsucker :)

Today on CHUNK! FUNK! GUNK! We rate

the PACIFIC SPINY LUMPSUCKER:

5/10 Chunk

10/10 Funk

9/10 Gunk

Once again we come across a creature I had never heard of before today. Apparently they’re very bony, but since they have such a square shape to them I give them a little chunk. They have a very very funky look and a strange gimmick, high funk. These fish are also very slimy (as found in my brief googling of them), high gunk.

Overall: 9/10

Its eyes are so full of hope. Its mouth is always agape in a state of wonder. Its tummy goes suck suck.

It is beautiful.

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

Daily fish fact #765

Lumpfish!

Though they lack a swim bladder, they spend considerable amounts of time in the upper and middle parts of the water column, as well as on the seafloor. They make annual large migrations between deeper open water and shallower coastal breeding grounds.

[marinememes]