Distribution,production, and age structure of slimy sculpin in an Arctic lake

Synopsis Slimy sculpins (Cottus cognatus) were caught in the littoral region of Toolik Lake, an arctic lake. These sculpins grew slower and lived longer (71 mm at 8⁺ years) than more southerly populations. Sculpin distribution along the slope of the rocky littoral zone was greatest at the 3.5 m depth and coincided with the rock-mud interface. The hypothesis that this preferred area provided both increased prey and reduced predation was advanced. Yearly production estimate of littoral sculpins was 0.40 g · m^–2 · yr^–1 with a P/B ratio of 0.36. This is considerably less than estimates for more southerly populations of the same species.