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Home/Species/ Blue Ridge Sculpin

Cottus caeruleomentum

Kinziger, Raesly, and Neely, 2000

Blue Ridge Sculpin

G4Apparently Secure Found in 7 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.102442
Element CodeAFC4E02320
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderPerciformes
FamilyCottidae
GenusCottus
Concept Reference
Kinziger, A. P., R. L. Raesly, and D. A. Neely. 2000. New species of Cottus (Teleostei: Cottidae) from the middle Atlantic eastern United States. Copeia 2000:1007-1018.
Taxonomic Comments
A member of the Cottus bairdii complex; recently described as a distinct species (Kinziger et al. 2000).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2011-11-08
Change Date2001-01-18
Edition Date2012-04-05
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Range Extent Comments
Range includes Elk, Susquehanna, Bush, Patapsco, Patuxent, Potomac, Nanticoke, James, and Roanoke drainages in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania (Kinziger et al. 2000). Atlantic Slope drainages from the Elk River, Pennsylvania, to the Roanoke River system, Virginia and North Carolina (Page and Burr 2011). Populations in the Rappahannock (Virginia) seem to represent another taxon, perhaps more closely related to C. girardi (as inferred from an allozyme data set) (Kinziger et al. 2000; Dave Neely, pers. comm., 2000).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations).
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known.
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

See Kinziger et al. (2000).

Habitat

Habitat includes rocky riffles of headwaters and creeks, and springs (Page and Burr 2011). Habitat on the coastal plain is limited to cold, spring-fed streams (Kinziger et al. 2000).
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
North CarolinaS1Yes
PennsylvaniaS4Yes
MarylandS4Yes
DelawareS1Yes
VirginiaSNRYes
West VirginiaS4Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
No known threats———

—

Roadless Areas (7)
Virginia (6)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Broad RunJefferson National Forest10,971
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Gum RunGeorge Washington National Forest12,620
Mottesheard (VA)Jefferson National Forest2,596
SkidmoreGeorge Washington National Forest5,641
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
References (10)
  1. Cooper, E. L. 1983. Fishes of Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States. Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park. 243 pp.
  2. Jenkins, R. E., and N. M. Burkhead. 1994. Freshwater fishes of Virginia. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. xxiii + 1079 pp.
  3. Kinziger, A. P., R. L. Raesly, and D. A. Neely. 2000. New species of <i>Cottus</i> (Teleostei: Cottidae) from the middle Atlantic eastern United States. Copeia 2000:1007-1018.
  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. Menhinick, E. F. 1991. The freshwater fishes of North Carolina. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. 227 pp.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. Stauffer, J. R., Jr., J. M. Boltz, and L. R. White. 1995. The fishes of West Virginia. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 146:1-389.