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Cottus immaculatus

Kinziger and Wood, 2010

Knobfin Sculpin

G4Apparently Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.868831
Element CodeAFC4E02400
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderPerciformes
FamilyCottidae
GenusCottus
Synonyms
Uranidea immaculata(Kinziger and Wood, 2010)
Concept Reference
Kinziger, A. P., and R. M. Wood. 2010. Cottus immaculatus, a new species of sculpin (Cottidae) from the Ozark Highlands of Arkansas and Missouri, USA. Zootaxa 2340:50-64
Taxonomic Comments
Formerly this species was included in Cottus hypselurus. Kinziger and Wood (2010) described it as a new species.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-11-19
Change Date2012-08-05
Edition Date2025-11-19
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G. (2012); rev. R. L. Gundy (2025)
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
This species has a limited range in the Current, Eleven Point, Spring and White river systems of the White River drainage in the Ozark Highlands of Arkansas and Missouri. The population appears to be relatively stable and no major threats are known.
Range Extent Comments
The range includes the Current, Eleven Point, Spring and White river systems of the White River drainage, in the Ozark Highlands of Arkansas and Missouri (Kinziger and Wood 2010). Using Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (2025) records, range extent is estimated to be 57,420 km² (RARECAT 2025).

Apparently-introduced populations have also been found in the Little Red River, Arkansas (Connior et al. 2013) and several rivers in Connecticut (Tellier et al. 2023). These introduced ranges are not used in this assessment.
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by at least a dozen occurrences (subpopulations) and locations (as defined by IUCN). Kinziger and Wood (2010) mapped 18 collection sites in Missouri and Arkansas. Applying a 10 km separation distance to GBIF (2025) records, 43 occurrences are estimated (RARECAT 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitat includes cool to cold spring-fed creeks and rivers with cobble bottoms (Kinziger and Wood 2010).
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
ArkansasSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
No known threats———

—

Roadless Areas (1)
Missouri (1)
AreaForestAcres
Irish Rare II Study AreaMark Twain National Forest1,226
References (10)
  1. Connior, M. B., C. T. Mcallister, H. W. Robison, and C. R. Bursey. 2013. Status of an exotic salamander, <i>Desmognathus monticola</i> (Caudata: Plethodontidae) and discovery of an introduced population of <i>Cottus immaculatus</i> (Perciformes: Cottidae) in Arkansas. Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science 67: 29. doi: 10.54119/jaas.2013.6724
  2. Kinziger, A. P., and R. M. Wood. 2010. <i>Cottus immaculatus</i>, a new species of sculpin (Cottidae) from the Ozark Highlands of Arkansas and Missouri, USA. Zootaxa 2340:50-64
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Pflieger, W. L. 1997a. The fishes of Missouri. Revised edition. Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City. vi + 372 pp.
  7. Robison, H.W. and T.M. Buchanan. 2020. Fishes of Arkansas. University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA, 959 pp.
  8. Robison, H. W., D. A. Neely, U. Thomas, K. E. Shirley, and J. K. Whalen. 2013. New distributional records and natural history notes on selected fishes from Arkansas. Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science 67: 20. <br/>doi: 10.54119/jaas.2013.6715
  9. Sickler, S. M. 2018. Long-term trends of stream fish community assemblages in southern Missouri with contemporary land use impacts. M.S. thesis. Missouri State University, Springfield. 79 pp.
  10. Tellier, J. M., B. Winsmann, M. Humphreys, S. Minoudi, and A. Traintafyllidis. 2023. What are you doing here? Unexpected occurrences of knobfin sculpins (<i>Cottus immaculatus</i>) in Connecticut. EEB Articles 60. <br/>https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/eeb_articles/60