Species: Cottus confusus
Shorthead Sculpin
Species
Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Actinopterygii
Order
Scorpaeniformes
Family
Cottidae
Genus
Cottus
NatureServe
Classification
Other Global Common Names
chabot à tête courte
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Fishes - Bony Fishes - Other Bony Fishes
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Actinopterygii - Scorpaeniformes - Cottidae - Cottus - , with some intermediate specimens, occur near western border of U.S. and Canada; thorough study of species limits is needed (Peden et al. 1989). 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
Primarily benthic organisms, especially aquatic insect larvae (Hughes and Peden 1984). May occasionally feed on other sculpins or sculpin eggs. (Lee et al. 1980).
Reproduction Comments
Spawning occurs in the early spring. Mean fecundity 326 eggs/female (Lee et al. 1980). Reaches sexual maturity at 2-3 years depending on location.
Ecology Comments
Maximum life span six years (Lee et al. 1980). Occurs sympatrically with other COTTUS (BAIRDI, ASPER, etc).
Length
10
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
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.BC=S2&US.ID=S3&US.NV=S1&US.OR=S4&US.WA=S5" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
Global Range
G - 200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles) - G - Range includes Puget Sound and Columbia River basins, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia; upper Oldman (Hudson Bay basin) and Milk river (Missouri river basin) in southwestern Alberta (Page and Burr 2011).
Global Range Code
G
Global Range Description
200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)