Shorthead sculpin

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Shorthead sculpin
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Cottidae
Genus: Cottus
Species:
C. confusus
Binomial name
Cottus confusus

The shorthead sculpin (Cottus confusus) is a species of fish in the family Cottidae. Shorthead Sculpins are bottom-dwelling small fish, typically sizing around 13 to 15 cm long. They have large heads and fanlike pectoral fins. They have 7-9 dorsal spines, 15-19 dorsal soft rays, and 10-14 anal soft rays. Narrow caudal peduncle. Palatine teeth and coloration being dark brown and yellow. [2]

It is found in the United States and Canada, inhabiting the Columbia River drainage in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia. It is also found in the Puget Sound drainage of Washington and in California [3] They will inhabit water where the temperatures range from 15.5 °C to 23.9 °C. The fish reaches a maximum length of 15.0 cm. [4] They will reside in rocky riffles of cold, clear streams, and occasionally lakes. They are benthic, sedentary, and nocturnal. Shorthead sculpin inhabit cold and cool water streams embedded with gravel-rocky substrates [5] .In Idaho they are found year-round, while in other regions found primarily in the spring.

The shorthead sculpin diet resembles the same as other sculpins. They are benthic invertivores meaning they eat primarily aquatic insects, small fish, or trout and salmon eggs. They will spend the days hiding under rocks and then at night prey on the small invertebrates making them nocturnal hunters. [6]               

Reproduction- Females reach sexual maturity around two to three years and males two years of age. Spawning occurs in the spring when water temperature ranges from 8 to 15 degrees Celsius. Sculpins are nest builders. The males will prepare a nest which is typically built underneath rocks. The female will lay the eggs and then leave and then the male fertilizes the eggs. The male stays to guard and care for the eggs. [7]

Conservation status of these fish are least concern in the United States. Main threats to the species are extended periods of low flows and runoff from mining and industrial activities. Another threat is non-native species. Researchers have found that Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Yellow Perch, Northern Pike, and Pumpkinseed pose a moderate to high ecological threat to the Shorthead sculpin. [8]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coastrange sculpin</span> Species of fish

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prickly sculpin</span> Species of fish

The prickly sculpin is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. It is native to the river drainages of the Pacific Slope of North America from Seward, Alaska south to the Ventura River of Southern California. It extends east of the Continental Divide in the Peace River of British Columbia. It has also been introduced to several reservoirs in Southern California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paiute sculpin</span> Species of fish

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<i>Cottus duranii</i> Species of fish

Cottus duranii, the Dordogne sculpin or Chabot d’Auvergne, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. It is found in France. It inhabits the Loire and Dordogne river drainages. It reaches a maximum length of 10.0 cm. It prefers streams with clear, cool, moderate to swift water and stone substrate. This species was described as a separate species from the European bullhead in 2005 by Jörg Freyhof, Maurice Kottelat and Arne W. Nolte. The specific name durani means “of Duranius”, the Latin name of the River Dordogne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inland riffle sculpin</span> Species of fish

The inland riffle sculpin is a species of fish in the family Cottidae. It is found in the United States, inhabiting the lower Columbia River drainage in Washington, to Morro Bay in California. It is also found in the Puget Sound drainage in Washington. It reaches a maximum length of 11.0 cm. It prefers rocky riffles of headwaters and creeks.

The Columbia sculpin is a species of fish in the family Cottidae. It is found in the United States and Canada, inhabiting the Columbia River drainage and Harney Basin in Oregon, British Columbia, Idaho, Washington, and Nevada. It reaches a maximum length of 11.2 cm. It prefers rocky riffles of headwaters and creeks.

The Ozark sculpin is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. It is endemic to Missouri,United States. Inhabiting the Osage, Gasconade, and Black river drainages in Missouri. It reaches a maximum length of 14.0 cm. It prefers rocky riffles of headwaters and creeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reticulate sculpin</span> Species of fish

The reticulate sculpin is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. It is found in the United States, inhabiting Pacific Slope drainages from the Snohomish River and Puget Sound in Washington to the Rogue River system in Oregon and California. It reaches a maximum length of 10.0 cm. This sculpin occurs in a variety of habitats, but mainly occurs in the slower sections of coastal headwaters, creeks, and small rivers. It prefers faster water with rubble or gravel substrate, but occurs in pools and along stream edges when other sculpin species are present. Often it occurs in clear cold water in forested areas. Its ideal habitat is cold creeks in old-growth forest, with plenty of riffles and runs. This species is tolerant of variable water temperatures and salinities. Where other sculpin species are common, spawning occurs in slow-flowing areas; where other sculpin species are rare or absent, spawning usually occurs in riffles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torrent sculpin</span> Species of fish

The torrent sculpin is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. It is found in the United States and Canada, inhabiting upper Fraser River drainage in British Columbia to the Nehalem River in Oregon (including the Columbia River drainage of British Columbia, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon. It reaches a maximum length of 15.5 cm. It prefers swift waters of small to large rivers with stable gravel or rubble bottoms, and rocky lake shores.

References

  1. NatureServe (2013). "Cottus confusus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T202659A15363361. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202659A15363361.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. Hendricks, P (1997). "Status, distribution, and biology of sculpin (Cottidae) in Montana: a review". MT.
  3. "California Fish Species - California Fish Website". calfish.ucdavis.edu. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  4. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2014). "Cottus confusus" in FishBase . February 2014 version.
  5. Byington, Darby; Flinders, Jon; Billman, Eric (1 March 2021). "Effect of a trematode infection on growth, reproduction, and mortality of shorthead sculpin". Environmental Biology of Fishes. 104 (3): 265–276. doi:10.1007/s10641-021-01072-0. S2CID   233771714.
  6. Johnson, D.W.; Cannameia, D.A; Gasser, K.W. (1983). "Food habits of the shorthead sculpin (Cottus confusus) in the Big Lost River, Idaho". Northwest Science.
  7. Daw, S. "Sculpins". National Park Service. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  8. Canada, Environment and Climate Change (23 August 2019). "Shorthead Sculpin (Cottus confusus): management plan, 2019". www.canada.ca.