Slimy sculpin

Slimy sculpin
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Cottidae
Genus: Cottus
Species:
C. cognatus
Binomial name
Cottus cognatus
Synonyms[2]
  • Cottus cognatus cognatus Richardson, 1836
  • Cottus gracilis Heckel, 1837
  • Uranidea gracilis (Heckel, 1837)
  • Uranidea quiescens DeKay, 1842
  • Cottus franklini Agassiz, 1850
  • Uranidea franklini (Agassiz, 1850)
  • Cottus boleoides Girard, 1850
  • Uranidea boleoides (Girard, 1850)
  • Cottus formosus Girard, 1851
  • Uranidea formosa (Girard, 1851)
  • Uranidea hoyi Putnam, 1876
  • Cottus philonips Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1892
  • Cottus chamberlaini Evermann & Goldsborough, 1907
  • Cottus kaganowskii Berg, 1932

The slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus) 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.[3] They are commonly confused with their closely related relatives, Mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi), 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.[3]

The fish has been studied in waters where there is current freshwater acidification. Sculpin were found to be less active and have lower rates of reproduction when found in these waters. For these reasons, slimy sculpin have been identified as a good indicator species for changes in acidification among lakes, ponds, and streams.[4]

  1. ^ NatureServe (2013). "Cottus cognatus". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN: e.T202658A15363317. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202658A15363317.en. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  2. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Cottus cognatus". FishBase. August 2022 version.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference [3] was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Gray, M. A.; Cunjak, R.A.; Munkittrick, K.R. (2004). "Site fidelity of slimy sculpin (cottus cognatus): insights from stable carbon and nitrogen analysis". Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 61 (9): 1717–1722. doi:10.1139/f04-108.