Cedar Sculpin

Distinguished from all congeners in the upper Columbia River basin by the lack of a second preopercular spine, palatine tooth patches smaller and separate from the vomerine tooth patch, and axillary prickling. Differs from Cottus cognatus, C. confusus, C. hubbsi, and C. rhotheus by the absence of a second preopercular spine; and from C. cf. bairdii and C. beldingii by the presence of axillary prickling. Furthermore, this species possesses palatine tooth patches smaller than the vomerine tooth patch and the patches are separated (vs. palatine tooth patches equal to or larger in size than the vomerine tooth patch in Cottus cf. bairdii; and generally, palatine teeth absent in Cottus beldingii) (Ref. 94998).

Dorsal spines (total): 7 - 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 17 - 20; Analsoft rays: 13 - 15

Common to abundant in cool to cold tributaries with cobble and gravel bottoms. Sympatric with Oncorhynchus clarkii and Salvelinus confluentus throughout its distribution, with Cottus rhotheus in Idaho, and withCottus cognatu in Montana (Ref. 94998).

The Cedar sculpin (Cottus schitsuumsh) is a small, large-headed species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This species is found in the Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe rivers in northern Idaho, and in a stretch of the Clark Fork river in western Montana. It is a common species of streams with cobble and gravel bottoms and cool to cold water.