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Home/Species/ Shorthead Sculpin

Cottus confusus

Bailey and Bond, 1963

Shorthead Sculpin

G5Secure Found in 7 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.905574
Element CodeAFC4E02090
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderPerciformes
FamilyCottidae
GenusCottus
Other Common Names
Chabot à tête courte (FR)
Concept Reference
Lemoine, M., M.K. Young, K.S. McKelvey, L. Eby, K.L. Pilgrim, and M.K. Schwartz. 2014. Cottus schitsuumsh, a new species of sculpin (Scorpaeniformes: Cottidae) in the Columbia River basin, Idaho-Montana, USA. Zootaxa 3755(3):241-258. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3755.3.3
Taxonomic Comments
Recognized as distinct species in 1963; previously misidentified on separate occasions as C. beldingi, C. bairdi punctulatus, and C. bairdi ssp. Bears close similarity to C. bairdi, with which it is often sympatric (Lee et al. 1980). Morphologically distinct populations of C. confusus and of C. bairdi, 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.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2011-11-09
Change Date1996-09-06
Edition Date2011-11-09
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Range Extent Comments
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).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations).
Threat Impact Comments
In most areas, this species faces no major threats. It is threatened by possible coal mining in southeastern British Columbia (Hughes and Peden 1984).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitat includes fast riffles of cold headwaters, creeks, and small to large rivers (Page and Burr 2011), also sometimes large rivers with slow-moving water (e.g., along shorelines, in backwaters). Usually this sculpin is found in streams or rivers with rubble or gravel bottoms. It may occupy open water away from cover. Eggs are laid in rubble-boulder areas on the undersurface of rocks (Lee et al. 1980).

Ecology

Maximum life span six years (Lee et al. 1980). Occurs sympatrically with other COTTUS (BAIRDI, ASPER, etc).

Reproduction

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.
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
WashingtonS5Yes
OregonS3Yes
NevadaS1Yes
IdahoS5Yes
CanadaN3
ProvinceRankNative
British ColumbiaS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
3 - Energy production & miningSmall (1-10%)——
3.2 - Mining & quarryingSmall (1-10%)——
9 - PollutionSmall (1-10%)——
9.2 - Industrial & military effluentsSmall (1-10%)——

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Roadless Areas (7)
Idaho (3)
AreaForestAcres
Borah PeakSalmon-Challis National Forest130,463
Boulder - White CloudsSalmon-Challis National Forest139,297
Boulder - White CloudsSawtooth National Forest322,653
Montana (2)
AreaForestAcres
Allan Mountain (01946)Bitterroot National Forest104,184
West Big HoleBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest133,563
Oregon (2)
AreaForestAcres
Echo MountainWillamette National Forest8,098
Lake ForkWallowa-Whitman National Forest21,936
References (19)
  1. Hughes, G. W., and A. E. Peden. 1984. Life history and status of the shorthead sculpin (COTTUS CONFUSUS: Pisces, Cottidae) in Canada and the sympatric relationship to the slimy sculpin (COTTUS COGNATUS). Can. J. Zool. 62:306-311.
  2. Koster, W. J. 1936. The life history and ecology of the sculpins (Cottidae) in central New York. Ph.D. thesis, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
  3. Koster, W. J. 1937. The food of the sculpin (Cottidae) in central New York. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 66:374-382.
  4. Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, North Carolina. i-x + 854 pp.
  5. Lemoine, M., M.K. Young, K.S. McKelvey, L. Eby, K.L. Pilgrim, and M.K. Schwartz. 2014. <i>Cottus schitsuumsh</i>, a new species of sculpin (Scorpaeniformes: Cottidae) in the Columbia River basin, Idaho-Montana, USA. Zootaxa 3755(3):241-258. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3755.3.3
  6. Master, L. L. 1996. Synoptic national assessment of comparative risks to biological diversity and landscape types: species distributions. Summary Progress Report submitted to Environmental Protection Agency. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia. 60 pp.
  7. Master, L. L. and A. L. Stock. 1998. Synoptic national assessment of comparative risks to biological diversity and landscape types: species distributions. Summary Report submitted to Environmental Protection Agency. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA. 36 pp.
  8. Mongillo, Paul E. (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Fish Management Program). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.
  9. Nelson, J. S. 1984. Fishes of the world. Second edition. John Wiley & Sons, New York. xv + 523 pp.
  10. Nelson, J. S., E. J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Perez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, and J. D. Williams. 2004. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 29, Bethesda, Maryland. 386 pp.
  11. Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.
  12. Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 2011. Peterson field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston. xix + 663 pp.
  13. Page, L. M., H. Espinosa-Pérez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, R. L. Mayden, and J. S. Nelson. 2013. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Seventh edition. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 34, Bethesda, Maryland.
  14. Page, L. M., K. E. Bemis, T. E. Dowling, H.S. Espinosa-Pérez, L.T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, K. E. Hartel, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, M. A. Neigbors, J. J. Schmitter-Soto, and H. J. Walker, Jr. 2023. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Eighth edition. American Fisheries Society (AFS), Special Publication 37, Bethesda, Maryland, 439 pp.
  15. Peden, A. E., G. W. Hughes, and W. E. Roberts. 1989. Morphologically distinct populations of the shorthead sculpin, <i>Cottus confusus</i>, and the mottled sculpin, <i>Cottus bairdi</i> (Pisces, Cottidae), near the western border of Canada and the United States. Can. J. Zool. 67:2711-2720.
  16. Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.
  17. Scott, W. B., and E. J. Crossman. 1973. Freshwater fishes of Canada. Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Bulletin 184. 966 pp.
  18. Simpson, J. and R. Wallace. 1982. Fishes of Idaho. The University Press of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho. 238 pp.
  19. Wydoski, R. S., and R. R. Whitney. 1979. Inland fishes of Washington. The University of Washington Press, Seattle. 220 pp.