Species: Cottus bairdii
Mottled Sculpin
Species
Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Actinopterygii
Order
Scorpaeniformes
Family
Cottidae
Genus
Cottus
NatureServe
Classification
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Fishes - Bony Fishes - Other Bony Fishes
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Actinopterygii - Scorpaeniformes - Cottidae - Cottus - Formerly included in the order Perciformes; the 1991 AFS checklist (Robins et al. 1991) followed Nelson (1984) in recognizing the order Scorpaeniformes as distinct from the Perciformes.
Ecology and Life History
Habitat Type Description
Freshwater
Migration
true - false - false
Non-migrant
true
Locally Migrant
false
Food Comments
Benthic feeder; forages among rocks, mainly on immature aquatic insect larvae, especially mayflies, chironomid midges, and stoneflies; larger individuals also eat caddisflies and crayfish; crustaceans, annelids, fishes (including fish eggs) and plant material also may be eaten; may take swimming prey from water column (Scott and Crossman 1973, Becker 1983).
Reproduction Comments
Spawns in spring, the date depending on the locality. Temperature at time of spawning in New York was 10 C (Scott and Crossman 1973). Breeding season may last 2-3 months from time of nest selection to departure of young. Female spawns once per season. Male guards eggs (sometimes from multiple females); eggs hatch in 17 days at 11-13 C. Sexually mature in 2-3 years. (Becker 1983, Scott and Crossman 1973).
Ecology Comments
Density of 2-5/sq m was recorded in two studies. Home range was estimated at less than 50 m of stream in Montana, average less than 13 m in North Carolina. In Montana, longest upstream movement was 180 m, longest downstream movement was 153 m. (Becker 1983).
Length
8
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
1996-09-06
Global Status Last Changed
1996-09-06
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
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Global Range
. The ranges of individual species will be mapped separatey when further information becomes available.