''Procottus major'' is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This species is endemic to

Lake Baikal Lake Baikal (, russian: Oзеро Байкал, Ozero Baykal ); mn, Байгал нуур, Baigal nuur) is a rift lake in Russia. It is situated in southern Siberia, between the federal subjects of Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Repu ...

in Siberia. It was originally described as a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of the similar but smaller red sculpin (''P. jeittelesii''). ''P. major'' can be found at depths of up to , especially on a muddy or rocky-mud bottom. In the spring and summer it typically occurs deeper than , and in the fall and winter from . It can reach a length of , but is usually . It feeds on smaller animals, especially gammarids, and breeding occurs in the winter at depths of . This species is fished and its young are an important food source for other fish.

References

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

Fish described in 1949 Taxa named by Dmitrii Nikolaevich Taliev Endemic fauna of Russia Fish of Lake Baikal {{Scorpaeniformes-stub