Iowa Fish Atlas

Native: Yes

State Rank: S2

ITIS Code: 167237          

National Rank: N5           

Global Rank: G5

Modeled By: Anna Loan-Wilsey

State Range:

The mottled sculpin is restricted to the Eastern Broadleaf Forest Aquatic Subregion.  It is only found in the cold trout streams of northeast Iowa where it is less common than the slimy sculpin (Harlan et al. 1987).

Habitat Affinities:

The densest populations of mottled sculpin are found in cold, upland rivers with high gradient, and small, quiet brooks and streams having permanent flow (Clay 1975; Etnier and Starnes 1993; Pflieger 1997; Phillips et. al. 1982; Trautman 1981). It can also be found in the boulder-lined shores of northern lakes (Eddy and Underhill 1974), and swift, cool tailwaters of reservoirs (Etnier and Starnes 1993). The mottled sculpin occurs in deep riffles and occasionally pools, with gravel, rubble, or boulder substrates free of clayey silts and other pollutants (Etnier and Starnes 1993; Pflieger 1997; Trautman 1981). The mottled sculpin is a bottom dweller and hides among rocks, between bedrock crevices filled with gravel, or debris (Phillips et. al. 1982; Trautman 1981).  In fact, In Wisconsin, the distribution of the mottled sculpin is dependent on available shelter (Becker 1983).  In Iowa, the mottled sculpin is more tolerate of warmer temperatures than the slimy sculpin, preferring streams with an average water temperature of 68° (Harlan et al. 1987). 

Predictive Model(s):

Statewide Model: by 8-digit HU [Decision Tree Analysis n=10]

The distribution is based upon existing collection records and professional review.

"SUBREGION_" = 2 AND ("TEMP_CODE" <= 1 AND ("MAXELEVR" > 2 AND "MAXELEVR" <= 3))

Overall Prediction:

"SUBREGION_" = 2 AND ("TEMP_CODE" <= 1 AND ("MAXELEVR" > 2 AND "MAXELEVR" <= 3))

Literature Cited:

Becker, G.C.  1983.  Fishes of Wisconsin.  University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 1052 pp.

Clay, W.M.  1975.  The fishes of Kentucky.  Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Frankfort, Kentucky.  416 pp.

Eddy, S., and J.C. Underhill.  1974.  Northern fishes; with special reference to the upper Mississippi Valley.  University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  414 pp.

Etnier, D.A., and W.E. Starnes.  1993.  The fishes of Tennessee.  University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee.  681 pp.

Harlan, J.R., E.B. Speaker, and J. Mayhew.  1987.  Iowa fish and fishing. Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa. 323pp.

Pflieger, W.L.  1997.  The fishes of Missouri.  Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri.  372 pp.

Phillips, G.L., W.D. Schmid, and J.C. Underhill.  1982.  Fishes of the Minnesota region.  University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  248 pp.

Trautman, M.B.  1981.  The fishes of Ohio.  Revised Edition.  Ohio State University Press in collaboration with the Ohio Sea Grant Program Center for Lake Erie Area Research,  Columbus, Ohio.  782 pp.

Data Sources:

Howell, D.  2003.  NAI database.  Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des

Moines, Iowa.

Iowa State University Museum.  1985.  Collection of fishes catalog, 1878-1985.   Iowa

State University, Ames, Iowa.

Manchester Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports.  Northeast

Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Manchester, Iowa.

Meek, S.E.  1892.  Report upon the fishes of Iowa, based upon observations and

collections mad during 1889, 1890, 1891.  Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission 10(1890):217-248.

Menzel, B.W.  1983.  Field notes: northeast.  Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Museum of Zoology.  2002.  Division of Fishes collection database.  University of

Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/. (May, 2002)

Wilton, T., K. Krier, and J. Mootz.  2003.  Stream Biological Assessment Database.

Environmental Services Division, Water Quality Bureau, TMDL and Water Quality Assessment Section, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Additional References:

Andersen, M.E., and J.E. Deacon.  1996.  Status of endemic non-salmonid fishes in eastern Nevada.  Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science 29:124-133.

Bailey, J.E.  1952.  Life history and ecology of the sculpin Cottus bairdi punctulatus in southwestern Montana. Copeia 1952(4):243-255.

Cross, F.B., and J.T. Collins.  1995.  Fishes in Kansas.  University of Kansas Natural History Museum, Public Education Series No. 14, Lawrence, Kansas.   315 pp.

Douglas, N.H.  1974.  Freshwater fishes of Louisiana.  Claitor’s Publishing Division, Sponsored by Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  443 pp.

Hill, J., and G. D. Grossman. 1987.  Home range estimates for three North American stream fishes.  Copeia 1987:376-380.

Hughes, G.W., and A.E. Peden.  1984.  Life history and status of the shorthead sculpin (Cottus confusus: Pisces, Cottidae) in Canada and the sympatric relationship to the slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus).  Canadian Journal of Zoology 62:306-311.

Kelly, G., editor.  1986.  Animal habitat relations handbook.  Missouri Department of Conservation and U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Jefferson City, Missouri.  293 pp.

Koster, W.J.  1936.  The life history and ecology of the sculpins (Cottidae) in central New York. Ph.D. dissertation, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.

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.  867 pp.

Ludwig, G. M., and C. R. Norden. 1969.  Age, growth, and reproduction of the northern mottled sculpin, Cottus bairdi bairdi, in Mt. Vernon Creek, Wisconsin.  Occasional Papers in Natural History, Milwaukee Public Museum No. 2. 67 pp.

Matheson, R.E. Jr., and G.R. Brooks, Jr.  1983.  Habitat Segregation between Cottus bairdi and Cottus girardi: an example of complex inter- and intraspecific resource partitioning.  American Midland Naturalist 110:165-176.

Nelson, J.S.  1984.  Fishes of the world. Second edition.  John Wiley and Sons, New York.  523 pp.

Page, L.M., and B.M. Burr.  1991.  A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico.  Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.

Peden, A.E., G.W. Hughes, and W.E. Roberts. 1989.  Morphologically distinct populations of the shorthead sculpin, Cottus confusus, and the mottled sculpin, Cottus bairdi (Pisces, Cottidae), near the western border of Canada and the United States.  Canadian Journal of Zoology 67:2711-2720.

Pflieger, W.L.  1971.  A distributional study of Missouri fishes.  University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History  20(3):225-570.

Pflieger, W.L.  1989a.  Aquatic community classification system for Missouri.  Missouri Department of Conservation.  Jefferson City, Missouri.  Aquatic Series No. 19. 70 pp. plus Supplement.

Pflieger, W.L.  1989b.  The stream resources of Missouri.  D-J Project - F-1-R-28.  Study S-20.  Missouri Department of Conservation, Columbia, Missouri.  

Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott.  1991.  Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada.  American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20, Bethesda, Maryland. 183 pp.

Robison, H.W., and T.M. Buchanan. 1988.  Fishes of Arkansas.  University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas.  536 pp.

Savage, T.  1963.  Reproductive behavior of the mottled sculpin, Cottus bairdi (Girard).  Copeia 1963(2):317-325.

Scott, W.B., and E. J. Crossman.  1973.  Freshwater fishes of Canada.  Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin No. 184, Ottawa, Canada.  966 pp.

Sublette, J.E., M.D Hatch, and M. Sublette.  1990.  The fishes of New Mexico.  University New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, New Mexico.  393 pp.

Thom, R.H., and J.H. Wilson.  1980.  The natural divisions of Missouri.  Transactions of the Missouri Academy of Science  14:9-24.

Winn, H.E.  1958.  Comparative reproductive behavior and ecology of fourteen species of darters (Pisces- Percidae).  Ecological Monographs 28:155-191.

Photo Credits:

Upper Left:       Photo courtesy of Konrad P. Schmidt, copyright Konrad P. Schmidt.

Upper Right:     Photo courtesy of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, http://www.ohiodnr.com/default.htm.