Red sculpin


Procottus jeittelesii, the red sculpin or red Baikal sculpin, is a species of deepwater sculpin that is endemic to Lake Baikal in Russia. It is a freshwater fish that dwells under stones or in holes in the mud at a depth range of. It is often found at around, and is most abundant during the autumn and winter. From the late winter to the spring it breeds at depths of. It can reach a maximum length of, but typically is. It has a red spotted or banded pattern on a light background. The red sculpin resembles two of its close relatives, the smaller P. gurwici and the larger P. major.
The red sculpin's diet consists of zoobenthos, especially amphipods but also oligochaetes. Despite its small size, it is caught and eaten by locals, and also eaten by the Baikal seal and other fish.