Lives on stream bottom. Movements are darter-like in their rapidity and often resemble hopping. Activity mostly nocturnal. Sculpins have long been accused of trout egg and fry predation and even for direct competition for benthic invertebrates. Most of the trout eggs consumed are probably loose eggs that were not buried in the redd.
Little evidence is available which shows sculpin limit trout numbers.
It has even been speculated that sculpin predation on predaceous stoneflies may increase the numbers of drifting herbivorous insects for trout and reduce stonefly predation on trout eggs and young. The male guards the nest 3 to 4 weeks, until the fry leave.