| Grotto sculpin | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
 Endangered (ESA) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Cottidae |
| Genus: | Cottus |
| Species: | C. specus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cottus specus G. L. Adams & Burr, 2013 | |
The grotto sculpin (Cottus specus) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. It is found in the United States where it only inhabits the Bois Brule drainage (although not recorded from the main stream itself) in Perry County of southeastern Missouri. It reaches a maximum standard length of 10.3 cm (4.1 in). This cavefish lives in underground streams and their resurgences. It was formerly confused with the more widespread C. carolinae, but can be separated by (among others) its smaller eyes and various degrees of reduced pigmentation. It is one of only three known cases of troglomorphism in the sculpin family, the others also involving U.S. Cottus (C. bairdi—cognatus species complex in Pennsylvania, and C. carolinae in West Virginia).
References
- "Grotto Sculpin (Cottus specus)". U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Cottus specus". FishBase. February 2014 version.
- ^ Adams, G.L.; B.M. Burr; J.L. Day; D.E. Starkey (2013). "Cottus specus, a new troglomorphic species of sculpin (Cottidae) from southeastern Missouri". Zootaxa. 3609 (5): 484–494. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3609.5.4. PMID 24699612. S2CID 11491879.
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Cottus specus | |