Cottus carolinae (Gill, 1861)
Banded sculpin
Cottus carolinae
photo by The Native Fish Conservancy

Family:  Cottidae (Sculpins)
Max. size:  18 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; freshwater
Distribution:  North America: upland streams in Mississippi River basin from New River drainage in West Virginia and Virginia, across central Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois to Ozark Mountain drainages in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma in the USA; south to Mobile drainage in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama, USA.
Diagnosis:   
Biology:  Inhabit gravel and rubble riffles of headwaters, creeks and small rivers. Also occur in springs and their effluents (Ref 5723, 10294). Young feed on aquatic insect immatures of many kinds, including caddisflies, mayflies, and midge larvae; adults on stonefly nymphs and maturing stages of other insects (Ref. 10294).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 09 November 2011 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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