Taurulus bubalis, known as the longspined bullhead or the longspined sea-scorpion, is a coastal fish

Coastal fish

Coastal fish, also called offshore fish or neritic fish, are fish that inhabit the sea between the shoreline and the edge of the continental shelf. Since the continental shelf is usually less than 200 metres deep, it follows that pelagic coastal fish are generally epipelagic fish, inhabiting the...

 of the sculpin family Cottidae

Cottidae

The Cottidae is a family of demersal fish in the order Scorpaeniformes, suborder Cottoidei . There are about 300 species in 70 genera of Cottidae that are mostly marine and found in shallow coastal waters in the northern and arctic regions...

, inhabiting waters of Northern Europe

Northern Europe

Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...

.

Description

It is a small fish with a thick body, with a large head and tapering body. It has four long spines - two on each side on the gill cover - that stick out when the fish is removed from the water. It has a variety of colours ranging from shades of browns, with cream blotches, but sometimes orange or red with white blotches.

Other names

Other English names for this species include sea scorpion, bullhead

Bullhead

-Fishes:* Certain sculpins, including:** European bullhead, Cottus gobio** Siberian bullhead, Cottus poecilopus** Norway bullhead, Taurulus Liljeborgi* Catfish of the genus Ameiurus, including:** Black bullhead, Ameiurus melas...

, rockfish, rock sculpin, scorpion fish, clobberhead,