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Subterranean biodiversity of North America and around the globe

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Cave Biology Data Portal
Subterranean biodiversity of North America and around the globe
AnimaliaChordataVertebrataActinopterygiiScorpaeniformesCottidaeCottus

Grotto sculpin
Cottus specus Adams et al. 2013

Taxonomy

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Actinopterygii
Order Scorpaeniformes
Family Cottidae
Genus Cottus
Species Cottus specus Adams et al. 2013

Description

Diagnostic characters

Ecological class
Stygobiont
Realm
Aquatic
Troglomorphy
Troglomorphic
Maximum body length
58-80 mm

Distribution

Type locality

Karst regions of Bois Brule drainage in Perry Co., MO

Range

Known from Missouri in the Ozarks karst region.

Continent

North America

Country

United States

States and provinces

Missouri

Counties

County-level records have not been compiled for this taxon. Distribution is recorded at state and karst-region level.

Karst regions

Ozarks

Genetics

Molecular resources

MarkerMoleculeSequences LengthExemplar
control region mitochondrial 20 756-760 bp KF746055.1
12S mitochondrial 1 2136-2136 bp OR551997.1

21 sequences, retrieved 23 August 2026. Counts change as sequences are deposited. Search GenBank.

Download all 21 sequence records (CSV) Accession, marker, molecule type, length, GenBank definition and a direct link.

Specimens

Type material

Holotype
110212 · Illinois Natural History Survey
Paratype
110213 · Illinois Natural History Survey

Collections holding material

InstitutionLots
Illinois Natural History Survey 7
Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History 3

10 cataloged lots in 2 collections. Compiled from GBIF and not an exhaustive census: many collections are not yet digitised, and holdings are added continually. Search GBIF for specimen records.

Download all 10 specimen records (CSV) Institution, catalog number, type status and preparation. No coordinates.

Conservation and management

NatureServe

G2 Imperiled

G1G2▲G3G4G5

Global rank last reviewed 1 December 2025.

Subnational ranks

Missouri
S1 Critically Imperiled

State and federal status

Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act listed 2013

Federal: Endangered

Threats

  • Agriculture - Crops
  • Invasive Species
  • Pollution -Sewage or Urban Wastewater
  • Pollution - Commercial/Industrial
  • Pollution - Agricultural & Forestry

Other resources

Catalogue of Life
YYL4
GBIF
8002759
iNaturalist
533848
NCBI Taxonomy
1389414

How to cite this account

Cottus specus Adams et al. 2013. Cave Biology Data Portal, account SP-1359. https://cavebiology.org/species/cottus-specus/ (accessed 3 September 2026).

Data sources and funding are listed in the Acknowledgments.

Spotted something wrong on this page? Report a correction. Accounts are compiled from many sources and corrections from people who know the group are the most useful email we get.

Cave Biology Data Portal

Species accounts, distributions, and conservation status for the subterranean fauna of North America and around the globe, with resources for the cave and karst research community.

Text and data CC BY 4.0. Images all rights reserved unless stated.

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