The slimy sculpin is a freshwater species of fish belonging to the family Cottidae, which is the largest sculpin family. They usually inhabit cold rocky streams or lakes across North America, ranging from the Great Lakes, southeast Minnesota, northeast Iowa, southwest Wisconsin and northeast Canada. Slimy sculpins have also been found roaming the cold streams of eastern Siberia. They are commonly confused with their closely related relatives, Mottled sculpin, and with tubenose gobies who are both freshwater fishes as well. The slimy sculpin is a nocturnal fish that usually spends most of its time on the stream bottom and seeks shelter under rocks and logs, especially during spawning season. When it swims, it sometimes appears to be "hopping" along the bottom because of its inefficient ability to swim. This is partly due to the absence of a swim bladder, which normally gives buoyancy to a fish.
Cottus is a genus of the sculpin family Cottidae. They are often referred to as the "freshwater sculpins", as they are the principal genus of sculpins to be found in fresh water. They are native to the Palearctic and Nearctic.
The mottled sculpin is a freshwater sculpin found widely although unevenly throughout North America.
The European bullhead is a freshwater fish that is widely distributed in Europe, mainly in rivers. It is a member of the family Cottidae, a type of sculpin. It is also known as the miller's thumb, freshwater sculpin, and common bullhead.
The rough sculpin is a species of fish in the family Cottidae. It is endemic to the United States. Its habitat includes spring-fed tributaries of the Pit River system in northeastern Shasta County, California, including the Fall River and its major tributary, the Tule River. It reaches a maximum length of 8.4 cm.
The pygmy sculpin is a species of fish in the family Cottidae. It is endemic to Alabama in the United States. It inhabits Coldwater Spring and its associated spring run in the Coosa River system.
The banded sculpin is a freshwater fish dwelling mostly in small to moderate sized streams in areas of swift current. Young and juvenile C. carolinae can mainly be found in pools, riffles, and other shallow habitats while adults tend to prefer deeper waters. C. carolinae primarily eats insects and insect larvae, but their large mouths enable them to eat prey nearly as large as themselves, including other sculpin. To prevent predation, including by other fish, the color and pattern of the sculpin tends to match its environment. Most Cottus carolinae are mottled brown with dark vertical banding and usually reach about three inches in length. They have a broad head which rather quickly narrows into a slim body, giving them the appearance of a tadpole reaching adulthood.
The Coastrange sculpin is a freshwater sculpin of the genus Cottus. They are commonly found near the ocean in western North America, namely Canada and the United States. It is also known as the Aleutian sculpin.
Cottus asper is a species of fish in the sculpin family known by the common name prickly sculpin. 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.
The Potomac sculpin is a freshwater species of sculpin that lives in West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
The black sculpin is a species of fish in the family Cottidae. It is endemic to the United States. Its range includes the extreme upper Clinch and Holston River systems in western Virginia and just into northeastern Tennessee. It reaches a maximum length of 8.4 cm.
The Paiute sculpin is a species of fish in the family Cottidae. It is found in the United States, inhabiting the Columbia River drainage from Idaho, western Wyoming, and northeastern Nevada to western Washington and Oregon, and endorheic basins including Lake Tahoe in Nevada and California. It reaches a maximum length of 13.0 cm. It prefers rubble and gravel riffles of cold creeks and small to medium rivers. It is also found in rocky shores of lakes.
The Malheur sculpin is a species of fish in the family Cottidae. It is found in the United States, inhabiting the Harney Basin, and the Snake River basin, including Malheur River in Oregon and Idaho. It reaches a maximum length of 13.0 cm. It prefers rocky riffles of headwaters and creeks.
The shorthead sculpin is a species of fish in the family Cottidae. 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 in Washington. It reaches a maximum length of 15.0 cm. It prefers rocky riffles of headwaters and creeks.
The 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 margined sculpin is a species of fish in the family Cottidae. It is found in the United States, inhabiting the Columbia River drainage from the Walla Walla River system, Washington, to the Umatilla River system in Oregon. It reaches a maximum length of 13.0 cm. It prefers rubble and gravel riffles.
The reticulate sculpin is a species of fish in the family Cottidae. 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. It's 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.
The Pit sculpin is a species of fish in the family Cottidae. It is found in the United States, inhabiting the Pit and upper Sacramento River systems in Oregon and California. It reaches a maximum length of 13.0 cm. It prefers rubble and gravel riffles.
The torrent sculpin is a species of fish in the family Cottidae. 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.
