Egg and larval development of Taurulus bubalis (Psychrolutidae, Teleostei)

Sculpins (Psychrolutidae) are valuable biological models for research on coastal fish species due to their robustness, which allows them to be easily maintained in captivity. Additionally, their reproductive strategy – where eggs are deposited in a clutch rather than being released as pelagic eggs – as well as their relatively short generation time offers significant advantages for developmental studies. A literature review of the early life history of Taurulus bubalis is presented and complemented by our own observations and documentation of all developmental stages (from eggs to juveniles). Our description is based on both materials collected in the Northeast Atlantic, the northern Bay of Biscay (Baie de la Forêt) in north-western France and on aquarium reared specimens. We provide detailed images and measurements with an update on spawning season and new insights on when maturity is reached. Differences between larvae of T. bubalis and larvae of the similar Micrenophrys lilljeborgii, and Myoxocephalus scorpius, are discussed together with a review of their historical and current distributions in the Northeast Atlantic.