Cabezon

Cabezon (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus)

The Ugly Fish that Tastes Great!!

Here we have the largest sculpin in the Salish Sea, and what an ugly guy he is! Most people describe the cabezon (Spanish for “big headed” or “stubborn”) as having a face only a mother could love, but I think he is pretty sweet looking, especially his blue-tinted mouth (if you dare to look). This scaleless sculpin has a stout body and large head, a marbled mottled pattern of greens, browns, oranges and reds, a lot of prickly spines, and a fleshy cirrus on their snout. They use their big mouths to crush shells, and can swallow abalones whole, then regurgitate the inedible shell. They also like to eat crabs, shrimp, and smaller fish.
Calazon can weigh up to 25 pounds, although most are much smaller than this, and they can grow up to a metre in length. Adult males spawn on rocky outcrops, and then guard the eggs for four to six weeks (where they become sitting ducks for fishermen). Once the larvae hatch they drift out to sea where the develop into small, silvery fish that hide below ocean debris like kelp mats. As they age, they settle in tide pools, then often move to kelp forests and reefs. Cabazon prefer shallow waters in the intertidal zone to 75 metres in depth, and can be found from Alaska to Baja, California. Sea-lovers prize these fish for their delicate flavour and like to grill them up on the BBQ. But don’t use their roe for caviar…their eggs are poisonous to humans! Unfortunately, because Calazon are so easy to catch, they are prone to overfishing.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabezon_(fish)
https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/fishes/cabezon