Smooth lumpsuckers (Aptocyclus ventricosus) are now on view in the Jewels of the Northern Pacific exhibits in the Northern Pacific Gallery. These fish are equipped with a clinging disc that allows them to suction to rocks and other surfaces. They prefer to hide amongst the kelp and rocks in their exhibit. They are called smooth lumpsuckers because they lack scales.
Both smooth and spiny lumpsuckers are on view in the exhibit. Aquarists have been displaying Pacific spiny lumpsuckers and raising their young behind the scenes in recent years. In comparison to the spiny lumpsuckers, which are small and brownish-yellow in color, smooth lumpsuckers are nearly twice as large and bluish-gray. They are found in the Northern Pacific Ocean, from Korea to the Bering Sea and British Columbia, Canada.