Grotto sculpin
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Cottidae
Genus: Cottus
Species:
C. specus
Binomial name
Cottus specus
G. L. Adams & Burr, 2013

The grotto sculpin (Cottus specus) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins.[2] It is found in the United States where it only inhabits the Bois Brule drainage (although not recorded from the main stream itself) in Perry County of southeastern Missouri.[3] It reaches a maximum standard length of 10.3 cm (4.1 in).[2] This cavefish lives in underground streams and their resurgences.[2] It was formerly confused with the more widespread C. carolinae, but can be separated by (among others) its smaller eyes and various degrees of reduced pigmentation.[2][3] It is one of only three known cases of troglomorphism in the sculpin family, the others also involving U.S. Cottus (C. bairdiโ€”cognatus species complex in Pennsylvania, and C. carolinae in West Virginia).[3]

References

  1. โ†‘ "Grotto Sculpin (Cottus specus)". U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2014). "Cottus specus" in FishBase. February 2014 version.
  3. 1 2 3 Adams, G.L.; B.M. Burr; J.L. Day; D.E. Starkey (2013). "Cottus specus, a new troglomorphic species of sculpin (Cottidae) from southeastern Missouri". Zootaxa. 3609 (5): 484โ€“494. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3609.5.4. PMID 24699612. S2CID 11491879.
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