Kessler's sculpin

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Kessler's sculpin (Leocottus kesslerii) is a small freshwater fish from Russia and Mongolia. It is the only species in its genus and is listed as Least Concern by conservation groups.

Where it lives
- Native to Lake Baikal, nearby lakes, and rivers such as the Selenga, Angara, and Bain Gol.
- In Lake Baikal, it is found on sandy to sandy-muddy bottoms down to about 70 meters deep. In rivers, it prefers slow-moving channels and floodplains.

Size
- Grows up to about 14 cm long, but most are 9–11 cm.

What it does
- Adults are crepuscular, active mainly at dawn and dusk.
- Diet includes gammarids (small crustaceans), chironomids (midge larvae), and young fish.

Reproduction
- Spawning occurs from May to June at depths of 3–5 meters.
- Eggs are laid under stones, and the male guards them.
- Larvae are pelagic (live in the open water) and feed on plankton.

Humans and other animals
- Sometimes caught by commercial fishers.
- Baikal seals eat them, though they make up only a small part of the seal’s diet in winter and spring and more in autumn.

Taxonomy note
- First described in 1874 as Cottus kessleri by Benedykt Dybowski, with Lake Baikal and nearby rivers as the type area.
- The genus Leocottus is recognized as valid and monotypic (only this species) today. It has been placed in different related families in the past, but current understanding places it within the broader group of sculpins.