Longhorn Sculpin
Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus
Also called Hacklehead.
How to tell it
Bottom-grabber with LONG cheek spines (mind your hands), big fanned pectorals, and banded fins.
- Not a shorthorn sculpin? That one short cheek spines, warty and stockier. (Shorthorn Sculpin)
- Not a sea raven? That one ragged fringed fins. (Sea Raven)
Rules for
Every state
| State | Size | Bag | Season | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | No size limit | No bag limit | Open year-roundMA DMF 2026 · likely · checked | Open |
Not specifically regulated in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida (Atlantic), Florida (Gulf), Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia: each state’s rule for unlisted species applies there (on its page).
On the table
Not kept — the cod trip's bait stealer.
In the app
Point the camera at a longhorn sculpin and the name appears before you take the picture, with these rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed, and every catch goes in the log.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask about longhorn sculpin
How do you tell longhorn sculpin from shorthorn sculpin?
Longhorn Sculpin has this: Bottom-grabber with LONG cheek spines (mind your hands), big fanned pectorals, and banded fins.. Shorthorn Sculpin short cheek spines, warty and stockier.