The first ones include mainly the fish of the suborder of sculpins (cattoides). 35 species and varieties of these small fish are known only in Baikal, and two of them are distinguished by ichthyologists into special endemic for Baikal holomyankov family. Different species of Baikal gobies differ greatly in their way of life. Most of them are typical bottom dwellers, known locally as shirokolobok (see inset page 128). A few species can be found in the coastal strip at shallow depths. The larger-headed and stone-sided Broad-billed Diver is found on rocky substrates, and the sandy-sided Diver is found on sandy substrates. Broad-breasted Sand Plovers are common throughout the whole of Baikal. 

Coastal armworms feed on crustaceans, amphipods and partly on other bottom invertebrates. Many of them lie in wait for their prey, camouflaging on the bottom. They are able to change coloration depending on: the nature of lighting and color of the ground. With depth the diversity of species and varieties of Broad-billed shrews increases. At greater depths live shirokolobki genera asprokottus, cottinella and abyssokottus. Representatives of the latter two occur even at the greatest depths of Lake Baikal. These are the deepest among the freshwater fishes of the globe. They have pale yellowish-grayish coloration, very small or, on the contrary, very large "telescopic" eyes protruding from their orbits - a consequence of living in the dark. Some broadheads show a tendency to transition to life in the water column, such as sand and greasy broadheads. Representatives of the genus Cattocomeforus have already become inhabitants of the depths of the open Baikal. These fish have acquired a more streamlined shape and "pelagic" type of coloration. However, their pectoral fins still play the role of supporting planes (gobies have no swim bladder) and are very large. In male gobies, during the breeding season, they are colored bright yellow.