Lumpsucker
(Cyclopterus lumpus)

Cyclopterus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cyclopteridae, the lumpsuckers or lumpfish. Its only species is Cyclopterus lumpus, the lumpsucker or lumpfish.

It is found in the North Atlantic and adjacent parts of the Arctic Ocean, ranging as far south as Chesapeake Bay (rare south of New Jersey) on the North American coast and Spain (rare south of the English Channel) on the European coast.

The species has been reported twice in the Mediterranean Sea, off Croatia in 2004 and Cyprus in 2017.

Cyclopterus is sexually dimorphic with females reaching larger sizes than the males. Males typically reach 30–40 cm (12–16 in) in length while females can typically grow up to 50 cm (20 in) in length and 5 kg (11 lb 0 oz) in weight. The largest specimen recorded measured 61 cm (24 in) in length, and 9.6 kg (21 lb 3 oz) in weight.

In the brackish water of the Baltic Sea, it usually does not surpass 20 cm (8 in).

The body is ball-like. It has a knobbly, ridged back and three large bony tubercles on each flank. Its pelvic fins form suction discs which it uses to attach strongly to rocks or other surfaces. The head and the pectoral fins of males are larger than those of females. It has a jelly-like layer of fat under the skin. Its colour is highly variable; bluish, greyish, olive, yellowish or brownish. Mature males turn orange-reddish during the breeding season.