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Cottus bairdii

Girard, 1850

Mottled Sculpin

G5Secure Found in 23 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.819868
Element CodeAFC4E02050
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
Synonyms
Cottus bairdiGirard, 1850
Concept Reference
Neely, D. A., J. D. Williams, and R. L. Mayden. 2007. Two new sculpins of the genus Cottus (Teleostei: Cottidae) from rivers of eastern North America. Copeia 2007(3):641-655.
Taxonomic Comments
Cottus bairdii, as it has been used in the broad sense, is a multi-species conglomerate. Morphological and genetic evaluations of sculpins in the U.S. have delineated several species of Cottus once thought to be part of more broadly distributed taxa (Neely et al. 2007, Kinziger and Wood 2010, Adams et al. 2013, Lemoine et al. 2014).

Morphologically distinct populations of C. confusus and C. bairdii, with some intermediate specimens, occur near the western border of the U.S. and Canada; thorough study of species limits is needed (Peden et al. 1989). Sculpins occurring in the Flathead, St. Mary, and Milk rivers systems of Canada, Montana and Wyoming are recognized as Rocky Mountain Sculpin (Cottus sp.) and are also part of the Cottus bairdii complex (DFO 2013).

Markle and Hill (2000) recognized populations of the C. bairdii complex in Oregon as two species, C. bendirei and C. hubbsi, but the taxonomic and geographic scope of these taxa needs further study.

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 Date2015-08-17
Change Date1996-09-06
Edition Date2012-04-05
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Range Extent200,000 to >2,500,000 square km (about 80,000 to >1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Range Extent Comments
This species has highly disjunct eastern and western ranges. Arctic, Atlantic, and Mississippi River basins from Labrador and northern Quebec west to western Manitoba and south to the Susquehanna River drainage, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee River drainage, northern Georgia and Alabama; Missouri River and streams in the eastern Ozarks, Missouri; isolated populations on Atlantic and Gulf slopes in the extreme upper Santee (North Carolina), Savannah (South Carolina and Goergia), and Coosa (Georgia) river systems; upper Missouri, Colorado, and Columbia river basins, Alberta to New Mexico; endorheic basins in Utah and Nevada (Page and Burr 2011).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations).
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This sculpin inhabits clear, cold to warm (typically cool) headwaters, creeks, springs, small rivers, and lakes, with sand and gravel or (more typically) rocky substrate; habitat preference varies geographically; often it occurs under rocks or vegetative cover (Scott and Crossman 1973, Peden and Hughes 1984, Lee et al. 1980, Page and Burr 2011). Male selects a spawning site under flat rock or ledge, in crevice among large gravel, among aquatic plants, or in tunnel (Becker 1983).

In Salt River watershed, Wyoming-Idaho, allopatric mottled sculpins (i.e., not sympatric with Paiute sculpins) occurred in spring streams that were wide and deep, dominated by fine substrate, and supported high densities of brown trout; mottled sculpins were absent from all tributaries on the eastern side of the drainage where streams had low summer water temperatures, high-gradient channels, and barriers that can influence upstream movements (Quist et al. 2004).

Ecology

Density of 2-5/sq m was recorded in two studies. Home range was estimated at less than 50 m of stream in Montana, average less than 13 m in North Carolina. In Montana, longest upstream movement was 180 m, longest downstream movement was 153 m. (Becker 1983).

Reproduction

Spawns in spring, the date depending on the locality. Temperature at time of spawning in New York was 10 C (Scott and Crossman 1973). Breeding season may last 2-3 months from time of nest selection to departure of young. Female spawns once per season. Male guards eggs (sometimes from multiple females); eggs hatch in 17 days at 11-13 C. Sexually mature in 2-3 years. (Becker 1983, Scott and Crossman 1973).
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
IllinoisS2Yes
MississippiS4Yes
MontanaSNRYes
TennesseeS5Yes
New YorkS4Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
IndianaS5Yes
MichiganS5Yes
OregonS4Yes
MissouriS4Yes
IowaS2Yes
WashingtonS4Yes
MarylandS4Yes
GeorgiaSUYes
South CarolinaS2Yes
New MexicoS1Yes
VirginiaS4Yes
ArizonaSNANo
VermontS2Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
NevadaSNRYes
UtahS4Yes
ColoradoS4Yes
Navajo NationS2Yes
WyomingS5Yes
KentuckyS4Yes
OhioS4Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
DelawareS1Yes
IdahoS4Yes
WisconsinS5Yes
AlabamaS2Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
QuebecS4Yes
AlbertaS2Yes
OntarioS5Yes
LabradorS3Yes
ManitobaS5Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
No known threats———

—

Roadless Areas (23)
Georgia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Ellicott Rock AdditionChattahoochee National Forest690
Rocky MountainChattahoochee National Forest4,269
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
Italian PeakCaribou-Targhee National Forest141,158
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
Montana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Italian PeakBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest90,401
North Carolina (8)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
Boteler PeakNantahala National Forest4,205
Cheoah BaldNantahala National Forest7,795
Chunky Gal (addition)Nantahala National Forest3,336
Overflow CreekNantahala National Forest3,379
South Mills RiverPisgah National Forest8,588
Wesser BaldNantahala National Forest4,061
Pennsylvania (1)
AreaForestAcres
Allegheny FrontAllegheny National Forest7,430
Tennessee (1)
AreaForestAcres
Sampson Mountain AdditionCherokee National Forest3,064
Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
New London Bridge BranchJefferson National Forest844
Peters Mountain Addition A (VA)Jefferson National Forest1,268
West Virginia (6)
AreaForestAcres
Glady ForkMonongahela National Forest3,239
Mcgowan MountainMonongahela National Forest10,504
Mottesheard (WV)Jefferson National Forest3,964
Mountain Lake Addition B (WV)Jefferson National Forest557
Peters Mountain Addition A (WV)Jefferson National Forest343
Seneca CreekMonongahela National Forest22,287
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